Some ice-creams melt to be nectar thick because they contain fillers, so test and see.ĩ) Myth: If a person can have thin liquids and soft solids, they’re good to have Minestrone soup. If a person is not safe with thin fluids, they are likely not safe with these items either. Truth: Actually, both of these food melt into thin liquids in the mouth before being swallowed. Ask and observe.Ĩ) Myth: Ice cream and Jell-O are soft solids. Don’t assume what a person can eat based on their dentition. Truth: Some people have strong gums and can actually bite into a raw apple. That’s why good oral care is essential.ħ) Myth: People without teeth can’t eat a regular-texture diet. The idea is that even if a small amount of pure water is taken into the lungs, the body will clear it without infection. The Frazier Free Water Protocol is a procedure of offering water for some dysphagia patients to keep hydration up – especially those who are otherwise medically stable and physically active. Truth: Water is sometimes recommended as the only thin liquid a person can have if good oral care can be ensured. Don’t assume that a “dysphagia diet” is pureed food with honey-thick fluids.Ħ) Myth: If a person is on thickened liquids, they can never have water. SLPs do a detailed assessment that looks at the underlying impairments, and food/drink recommendations are made separately, based on those findings. It’s possible to be safest on thin liquids and pureed solids (if the oral phase is weakest), or on regular solids with thickened fluids. Truth: Food and liquid recommendations are not dependent on one another. Was the person coughing or choking? If he was choking, you should probably give the Heimlich maneuver instead of writing it down.ĥ) Myth: Thickened liquids must be recommended along with modified solids. Please be specific when documenting trouble at mealtimes. Technically, choking is about not being able to breathe because something is obstructing the airway, but the term “choking” is often confused with “coughing”. It takes air to cough, so if you’re coughing, you’re breathing. Truth: Related to the one above, coughing is protective. But as above, you need to actually see what’s happening to know for sure. It can also be from another medical condition and completely unrelated to eating. A cough can be a sign of aspiration, but it can also be the way a person protects themselves from aspiration. A strong cough is a good sign you’re actually not getting food caught in your lungs. Truth: A cough is a protective reflex meant to expel things from the airway. Nobody has x-ray vision.Ģ) Myth: If you cough, you’re aspirating. The only way to tell if someone is taking food or liquid into their lungs is to see it on an instrumental swallowing assessment (MBS/VFSS or FEES). Truth: It’s called silent aspiration for a reason. 1) Myth: If you don’t cough, you aren’t aspirating.
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