| Abstract | Objective: To accrue evidence of effectiveness of voice therapy more than 2 years after the last clinic visit from patients over 60 years who came to clinic reporting voice complaints and subsequently demonstrated videostroboscopic signs of aging leading to recommendations for voice therapy.
Methods: Participants, via telephone inquiry, reported if their voices were better, stable or worse since their last clinic visit. They rated Voice-Related Quality of Life, voice satisfaction, and Glottal Function Index which were compared to their last clinic visit ratings. Participants answered questions focused on compliance with recommended voice therapy and current voice satisfaction. Those who were compliant also responded to questions focusing on therapeutic experiences including home exercises and rescue techniques. Those who were non-compliant responded to questions on their reasons for noncompliance as well as rescue techniques.
Results: Twenty-four participated (16 complied and 8 were non-compliant with voice therapy recommendations), with a mean of 3.7 years between visits. For those compliant, 0% reported better voices, 69% stable and 31% worse. Most (56%) attended between 2 and 5 therapy sessions. Most frequently reported therapy techniques were: repeating nasal sounds/words; straw phonation; fewer words/breath group; and increasing pitch range. According to Van Stan’s taxonomy for therapy, these reflected somatosensory, vocal function and respiratory interventions. Eighty-one percent were given home exercises. Most stopped practicing them regularly a few months after therapy, but continued to use them as rescue techniques. For those non-compliant, 88% reported better voices, 0% stable, and 12% worse. The subjective ratings from the phone call were significantly better than ratings from their last clinic visits. Lack of time was the reason given by the largest percent (43%) for non-compliance.
Conclusions: Voice therapy could be considered effective as most who were compliant reported stable voices 2 to 6 years after their last clinic visit, suggesting maintenance of function in the context of progressive aging changes.
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