[Dysphagia] off-topic: aphasia

[BOBGLENSIDE at aol.com (BOBGLENSIDE@aol.com)]

We - a team of SLPs working in the nursing home - have been approached by the 
RNAC to evaluate all patients with communication deficits to give them a 
diagnosis of aphasia.  Apparently, the MDS's vague definition of aphasia is 
"disorder of language," which would include those folks who have dementia-related 
deficits while we feel aphasia is more specifically related to a neuro event 
such as a CVA or TBI.

Her feeling is that with the diagnosis of aphasia the nursing home stands to 
financially benefit by way of a higher case mix.  While we wish to be 
supportive of the nursing home's attempts to (appropriately) capture as much revenue 
per patient as possible, we do not feel that we as SLPs and these demented 
patients are the most appropriate avenue by way of the diagnosis of aphasia.

Anyone else have this experience?  Any personal insights or 
authors/text/articles you can direct us to that support either case would be helpful.

Bob