Safe Swallowing

Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) can cause far-reaching difficulties, including:

Malnutrition
Dehydration
Aspiration potentially leading to aspiration pneumonia
Failure to thrive

Swallowing difficulty from neurological or physiological changes can benefit from comprehensive dysphagia evaluation and treatment. Services include clinical swallow evaluations with recommendations and instruction for applicable diet modifications.

Modified barium swallow studies can be performed to objectively assess your swallow function. Results aid physicians, speech pathologists, and patients in determining direction for additional treatment or the need for other referrals (e.g., Zenker's Diverticulum or difficult to resolve pneumonias).

Safe swallowing services include evaluation and prevention strategies if you report:

Mild difficulties like rapid eating and drinking
Poor positioning
Drooling
Occasionally coughing during a meal
Dealing with mild reflux

These services are especially useful if you have a progressive disease to maintain safety and adequacy of oral nutrition before issues become critical.

Periodic, ongoing professional services can support you and your family members, while increasing the likelihood of you maintaining oral nutrition.