B0600: Speech Clarity

Item Rationale

Health-related Quality of Life

• Unclear speech or absent speech can hinder communication and be very frustrating to an individual.

• Unclear speech or absent speech can result in physical and psychosocial needs not being met and can contribute to depression and social isolation.

Planning for Care

• If speech is absent or is not clear enough for the resident to make needs known, other methods of communication should be explored.

• Lack of speech clarity or ability to speak should not be mistaken for cognitive impairment.

Steps for Assessment

1. Listen to the resident.

2. Ask primary assigned caregivers about the resident’s speech pattern.

3. Review the medical record.

4. Determine the quality of the resident’s speech, not the content or appropriateness—just words spoken.

Coding Instructions

• Code 0, clear speech: if the resident usually utters distinct, intelligible words.

• Code 1, unclear speech: if the resident usually utters slurred or mumbled words.

• Code 2, no speech: if there is an absence of spoken words.