SWALLOWING AND COMMUNICATION IN AGED CARE

Dysphagia or swallowing difficulties affects a significant number of the population aged 60 years of age and over. This can have an enormous impact on an individual’s health and wellbeing including:

· Aspiration pneumonia or chest infections

· Malnutrition

· Dehydration

· Increased rates and length of time spent in the hospital

· Inadequate quality of life

The Speech Pathologists at Care2Communicate provide swallowing assessments and recommendations/management plans to both the residents and staff at aged-care facilities, to ensure that foods and fluids are modified appropriately to maintain safe feeding. Some signs that may indicate swallowing difficulties include:

· Reoccurring chest infections or aspiration pneumonia, requiring hospitalisation.

· Food getting stuck in the throat or mouth

· Requiring extended times to finish meals 

· Spillage from the mouth that includes, saliva, food or fluids.

· Overly dry mouth

· Avoidance of certain foods, like foods that are difficult to chew or are too dry to swallow

· Nasal regurgitation –Fluids, saliva or food are come up and out the nose

· People with neurodegenerative disorders or Parkinson’s disease.

· Changes in swallowing following surgery (e.g. head or neck surgery).

Care2Communicate’s Speech Pathologists are dedicated in utilising their skills to provide assessment and intervention for swallowing disorders. Our therapists ensure that the specific recommendations and mealtime management plans are tailored to the client, their level of independence and cognitive status. To ensure the swallowing safety for our clients our therapists also spend time providing expert advice and training to nursing staff, carers and family members to facilitate optimal dysphagia management and safe feeding practices. 

Communication

A significant percentage of elderly Australian residing in aged care facilities are living with a communication disorder. Stroke, dementia, neurodegenerative diseases and Parkinson’s Disease make up some of the conditions that have a significant impact on an individual’s ability to communicate effectively to maintain quality of lifeUp to 96% of elderly Australians living in RACF’s have a communication disorder. Effective communication is fundamental for everyday living and essential for one’s quality of life.

Care2Communicate’s Speech Pathologists conduct communication assessments and provide intervention and strategies targeting the specific needs of the clients. Sessions can be conducted as individual sessions or within a group (e.g., Aphasia groups or social communication groups). 

Education

At Care2Communicate we value to the importance of education surrounding the management of swallowing and communication. Areas that can be covered in these education sessions include, but are not limited to:

· A speech pathologists’ role

· Dysphagia and how it can be managed

· IDDSI  (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Framework): Texture modification of food and thickening fluids (preparation)

· Communication Disorders 

· Strategies for successful communication

· Communication-partner training

· How to achieve successful communication