About Live Well Speech Therapy

Live Well was established in 2023 and is specifically designed to serve adults in Utah with speech, voice, swallowing and cognitive deficits.  It is our aim to provide exceptional services to our customers through evidence-based treatment, innovative methods, and person-centered care.  Rather than in a static office space, services are provided in the patient’s naturalistic environment—their home or in public spaces where the patient conducts activities of daily living (e.g., grocery store, library, etc.).

Live Well Speech Therapy was formed after a patient diagnosed with Parkinson’s sought out Jackie Larsen, a speech therapist at the patient’s skilled nursing facility, for treatment.  He indicated that he’d received speech therapy in the past with another therapist, but it did “no good” because the treatment was not specialized for Parkinson’s. Jackie spent her own money to become certified in SpeakOut, a voice treatment for Parkinson’s, to specifically meet this patient’s needs. During her training, Jackie attended a Parkinson’s support group.  Several patients at the support group asked if Jackie would see them for speech therapy as well. Jackie realized the need for specialized services among adults in Utah County, and surrounding areas with limited mobility, and Live Well Speech Therapy was born.

Jackie is a certified provider for VitalStim ® therapy, a neuromuscular electrical stimulation treatment which utilizes low-level electrical impulses to stimulate and strengthen muscles used for swallowing.

Jackie works collaboratively with caregivers and other providers to encourage a whole-patient approach that encourages a healthy diet, adequate sleep, medication management, and appropriate exercise, which produces cyclical results.  For instance, addressing cognitive deficits inherently improves decision-making regarding meal-time safety.  Addressing swallowing impairments leads to better respiratory coordination for improved conversational speech and overall general health.