Dysphagia and swallowing difficulties are common throughout aged care. In fact, 45% of people over the age of 75 have a swallowing problem, commonly known as Dysphagia.

People with Dysphagia have difficulty swallowing and can often experience pain while swallowing too. Some people may be completely unable to swallow, or have difficulty swallowing liquid, food or even saliva. A swallowing difficulty can therefore inhibit intake of calories and fluids to nourish the body. Dysphagia and swallowing problems reduce the quality of life for any aged care resident. It can also be traumatic, both physically and emotionally, for the resident.

Without accurate assessment, proper treatment and early intervention swallowing problems can lead to choking episodes that can be life threatening. Unfortunately the signs of Dysphagia are not always obvious, as 40% of the elderly population are ‘silent aspirators’ which means they do not cough or choke, even when their food or drink may be going into their airway. Food or liquid that stays in the windpipe can enter the lungs and create a chance for harmful bacteria to grow and serious infection, such as aspiration pneumonia, can develop.

Some of the signs of Dysphagia and swallowing difficulties are:

• Coughing, choking or frequent throat clearing
• Food spilling out of the mouth or coming out of the nose
• Dribble or drool even when resident is not eating
• Taking longer to eat than other residents
• A gurgly voice or slurred speech after eating and drinking
• Frequent chest infections
• Requires multiple swallows for each mouthful of food or drink
• Food remains in the mouth after swallowing
• Frequent burping and pain after eating (reflux)

Dysphagia has many causes. Stroke, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, MS, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer are just some of the diseases and neurological conditions that can weaken or damage the muscles and nerves used for swallowing which can result in Dysphagia.

A speech pathologist that specialises in aged care can help to improve the quality of life for residents suffering with Dysphagia. They can offer advice on functional communication, provide detailed care plans and offer therapy targeting the maintenance of existing skills and the improvement of communication. W&L have speech pathologists providing mobile therapy. To book one click here. These speech pathologists have put together a number of audio/video training presentations and online training modules that can be found here.