Development of a dysphagia management protocol in Care Homes.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A literature and consensus based approach to the development of a dysphagia management protocol in the care home setting
IRAS ID
215697
Contact name
Sue Pownall
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) is a distressing and potentially life-threatening problem. It includes difficulty swallowing saliva, fluids, food and medicines. Dysphagia is common in older people with long-term conditions, e.g. stroke and dementia. Studies suggest between 50-75% of residents in nursing homes have swallowing difficulties. People whose dysphagia is not well managed often do not eat and drink enough and thus may lose weight, develop chest infections, become confused and occasionally choke. These complications can result in hospital admission. People with dysphagia are often advised to thicken their drinks or eat pureed food, to reduce the risk of choking and make it safer and more comfortable to swallow. However, such changes make food less appetizing, and highlight people's difficulties when eating in social situations. Joint working between staff in the home, residents and their relatives and across health teams can lead to safe and more pleasant intake of food and drink.
All care home residents should be enabled to receive optimal nutrition and hydration despite physical, memory or behavioural problems. However, many care home staff do not receive training in dysphagia. Recommendations for management of dysphagia are generally made by Speech and Language Therapists working in collaboration with family and residents. There is a need to build a shared understanding of safe and effective management that is generated in collaboration with the care home workforce. This study will seek to find out from the literature and, from interviews with care home staff, residents and their families, how they can effectively manage dysphagia and monitor the nutritional needs of older people through best practice. We will use this information to design a protocol to promote dysphagia management for optimal nutrition in care home residents. We will then test the validity of the protocol over a 3 month period in four care homes.REC name
London - West London & GTAC Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0213
Date of REC Opinion
16 Feb 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion