Communication Health Promotion In The Elderly: A Community-Based Intervention In Sincelejo, Colombia

Abstract

This quantitative, quasi-experimental study was designed to promote communication health among adults over 60 years of age living in community-based, non-institutional settings. It was conducted as part of the speech-language pathology training program at the University of Sucre. The study included 16 older adults who initially underwent a pretest to evaluate their cognitive-linguistic abilities. They then participated in 36 intervention sessions over three months, organized into three therapeutic phases: communication health education, language stimulation, and functional communication enhancement, all grounded in the biopsychosocial model. A post-test was administered to reassess their abilities. The program produced significant improvements in oral expression, auditory comprehension, and the organization of both oral and written discourse, thereby enhancing communication skills in family, social, and community contexts.