Make your voice heard!
Older adults have plenty to say, but changes to the vocal cords, nerves, or lungs sometimes make it harder to speak up. The voice may become soft or breathy, or it may grow hoarse, rough, or strained. "This sets up a real challenge for people to communicate. It may be difficult to speak over noise in a restaurant or in a group. It can be very isolating," says Barbara Worth, a speech-language pathologist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
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