Support for the Holiday Season – Dysphagia

Support for the Holiday Season – Dysphagia

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Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulties.

Some people with dysphagia have problems swallowing certain foods or liquids, while others can’t swallow at all (NHS).

Following an acquired brain injury or as a symptom of a progressive neurological condition, people can present with swallowing difficulties and may require their foods and fluids to be modified. Foods can be modified by reducing the texture, therefore reducing the amount of preparation they require. Fluids can be modified by increasing the thickness of the fluid to slow them down, both to make intake safer to manage.

The implications of swallowing difficulties can be serious, such as chest infection and pneumonia and choking.

At Christchurch Group, to ensure that our residents can continue to enjoy their Christmas with family and friends and to ensure maximum safety, the speech and language therapy team will spend time with the resident, their family and friends. We will provide information on swallow difficulties relevant to the resident and deliver training on how to modify the foods and fluids to the specific consistency recommended for the resident. This training will also include any specific feeding techniques the resident may use.