People over the age of 65 are at higher risk of developing oropharyngeal dysphagia, result of different diseases of the central nervous system, neuromuscular disorders and structural lesions. In fact, 51% of seniors living in nursing homes suffer from dysphagia. Aware of this and to give visibility to this pathology, Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition and LARES have launched the awareness campaign “Let’s save lives”.
As he states, Juan VelaGroup President with this campaign it is intended «raise awareness about dysphagia in senior centersas well as train their staff in detection and adequate treatment for these people”.
In this sense, it is worth noting that “One of the great problems of this disease is the high rate of underdiagnosissince 90% of people who suffer from it are not diagnosed or treated. With adequate intervention and early diagnosis, almost half of deaths from bronchial aspiration pneumonia would be avoided, a cause that affects 45% of older people living in residences”.
The main complications of dysphagia are aspiration pneumonia, dehydration and malnutrition, which increase the risk of a longer hospital stay, institutionalization of the person and even mortality, among others. “One of the main cases that we find in patients with dysphagia is malnutrition.”, warns Montse MunozGeneral Manager of .
“Given that in most cases the amount and variety of food is reduced to make it easier for these people to eat, the caloric density of the meals decreases, and all this is linked to the anxiety they suffer during meals and the consequent refusal of food, contributes to possible malnutrition. For this reason, we believe it is essential that the staff of centers for the elderly are qualified to deal with this problem with a correct nutritional treatment”, indicates Montse Muñoz.
It is estimated that 32% of patients with dysphagia suffer from malnutrition. Several factors contribute to its chronic maintenance, such as the quantity and quality of the food ingested, the rejection of food due to fear of choking, reactive depression that causes decreased appetite in the long term, or the fact that it is caused by other diseases -such as cancer or neurological diseases – which can alter the ability to eat.
The bell “Let’s save lives“intends that dysphagia is adequately treated by providing tools that help nursing home professionals to early detection and proper treatment to avoid complications associated with dysphagia, such as malnutrition, dehydration and/or aspiration pneumonia.
The Basic keys to detect and treat dysphagia are the following:
Warning signs and symptoms
Generally, people suffering from dysphagia can be identified by the existence of symptoms such as choking or coughing when swallowing, drooling, presence of debris in the oral cavity, hoarseness or hoarseness, weight loss, or fever and recurrent respiratory infections.
eat upright and slowly
The way of eating is another of the key aspects in the nutritional treatment of these patients. It is recommended to eat in a quiet environment, sitting upright and with the chin down. In addition, you should eat slowly and in small amounts, without using straws or syringes. After eating, it is convenient to maintain an upright position for at least 30 minutes, as well as correct oral hygiene.
Adaptation of texture and viscosity
Modifying the viscosity and texture of food is essential in patients with dysphagia. To do this, thickeners must be used both in liquids and in crushed foods, which must be homogeneous and not contain lumps, so that chewing is not required. Foods that stick to the palate (candy, pastries, etc.), that slip (mussels, peas, etc.) or that have double textures (pasta soup, milk with cereals, etc.), among others, should be avoided.