Peace of mind about eating and drinking
Swallow assessment in your home
We will never share your information
Confidence
A professional swallow assessment gives you confidence about your eating and drinking – no more guesswork.
Convenience
We come to you: service is given in your own home without a hospital waitlist.
Personalized Service
You are working with the same SLP start to finish.
Why Carter Speech Pathology?
“[…] his warmth and genuine care and compassion shine through in his interactions — which is rare in someone with his level of efficiency, knowledge, and additional professional certifications.”
Reena Parhar
Clinical Practice Leader
Fraser Health Authority
Advanced FEES course:
SA Swallowing Services (Dr. J. Ashford)
Registered SLP
ILP certified
12+ years experience
We offer basic and advanced endoscopic swallow tests. The basic exam includes an interview about the history of the problem, testing of the muscles and nerves involved in swallowing, food trials including a variety of fluids and solids textures, and a full report with recommendations for any swallow exercises, safe swallowing strategies or diet texture changes that could improve your situation.
An advanced exam (also called FEES) includes everything in the basic exam but also includes flexible endoscopy, where a flexible camera is used to view the entrance to the airway, the entrance to the esophagus, and the throat while you are eating and drinking. Problems with aspiration (food or fluids going into the airway) are identified. This advanced exam provides the highest degree of confidence about the mechanics and safety of your swallowing.
Yes! We’d be happy to talk with you, find out what you need and determine whether swallow assessment would be of value to you. There is no obligation. We will have a speech pathologist contact you directly by email or by phone.
No – the service is a private one and so does not qualify for coverage under MSP. But much like for private physiotherapy or massage therapy, extended health plans will often provide some level of coverage for speech pathology services. It is worth checking with your extended health provider to see whether the cost of a swallow assessment can be offset with coverage you already have. Publicly-funded options for endoscopic swallow assessment services are available through hospitals, but none of them provide a mobile service in your home and most will have a waitlist.
We charge a flat rate of $295 for a basic assessment, and $495 for an advanced, endoscopic assessment. This means that even if analysis & interpretation, reporting, or development of a therapy plan or diet recommendations are more involved than anticipated, your cost stays predictable. About half the cost of the endoscopic assessment goes to cover the single-use sterile Ambu endoscope, the food used for testing, and other supplies. It is our intention that the time and money you commit to a swallow assessment will lead to decreased worry and improved health. For some people stuck on restrictive diet textures, an assessment will give them confidence that they can return to a more normal diet and the pleasures that go along with it — we consider these things to be of high value.
Though we are a mobile service, we do not add any charge for travel expenses.
Our hourly rates for swallowing therapy and other SLP services are typical for BC, currently set at $150 / hr, with half-hour increments available. This is a similar rate to many plumbers and other tradespeople.
Both basic and advanced swallow tests are considered low or minimal risk procedures. The main risk in the endoscopic test is that it feels strange to have a camera passed through the nose, no matter how thin the camera is (ours is very thin at about 3 mm). There is a low (1/1000) risk of a nose bleed and a lower risk of a fainting/vasovagal response (1/2500). Most people (ourselves included) report it just feels a strange but also very interesting when we review the video together.