Fellow residents and employees of Lutheran Care Center may hear an unusual sound echoing through the halls: "GOO! LAH! GUNG! GAH! GAH!" and "KOO! KAH! MUNG! GOO! KAH!" It's not a foreign language club or a choir warming up. It's a group of residents who meet weekly in the gym to work out—and work out their voices.
Parkinson's disease and other conditions can affect how clearly and loudly a person is able to communicate. Left unaddressed, the voice often grows quieter over time. Rather than accept that outcome, four to ten residents gather each week, determined to fight back.
"Speak with intent!" Speech-Language Pathologist Victoria Facchin calls out to the group. "Throw your voice at me!"
Her cues sound more like a self-defense class than a therapy session—and in a way, that's the point. She's coaching participants to project with strength and confidence.
The group follows the SPEAK OUT!® Therapy Program, developed by the nonprofit Parkinson Voice Project®. This evidence-based program helps people with Parkinson's and related disorders regain and retain their speech and swallowing ability, targeting volume, articulation, breath support, vocal quality, intonation, and facial expression. Because many of the same muscles used in speaking are also used in eating and drinking, several participants have noticed added benefits: less drooling and easier swallowing.
Each session is built around a theme—the ocean, holidays, favorite foods—and everyone gets a chance to share.
"Have you ever been on a boat?" Victoria asks, making her way around the room. Some voices ring out louder than others, but every participant is giving it their all, showing up to preserve the speech they still have.
The exercises vary—reading aloud, counting, naming objects—but the goal never changes: intent. Even something as small as taking a sip of water becomes a practiced act of purpose.
When class ends, the group disperses. As Victoria and Jeff Pryluck help residents back to their rooms, two women who once lived just doors apart—now on different halls—pause to catch up. Their voices are quiet, but just a little stronger than before. A small moment, made possible by an hour spent finding their voice together.
