Dysphagia
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Tips for Careworkers:
Dysphagia

What it is: Dysphagia is difficulty swallowing. The person finds it difficult to swallow food or liquid, including medications in liquid or tablet form.

Why it matters: Dysphagia is common in older people and people in palliative care. Careworkers have an important role in supporting oral care and positioning of the person. Dysphagia can lead to:

  • poor nutrition
  • dehydration
  • aspiration (breathing a foreign object or liquid into an airway)
  • asphyxiation (lack of oxygen)
  • pneumonia.

What I need to know: Any changes to the normal function of the mouth, pharynx or larynx or oesophagus can cause dysphagia.

Dysphagia may be due to:

  • changes associated with ageing
  • the side effect of medication
  • treatment including radiation and chemotherapy for cancer.

Dysphagia is common in advanced or terminal illness. Dysphagia is also associated with neurological conditions particularly:

  • dementia
  • Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
  • Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
  • stroke.

Note

People providing meal time assistance should have received training in assisting people with swallowing problems and managing choking episodes.

 

Do

Look out for and report to nursing/supervisory staff if a person:

  • chokes when eating, drinking or taking medication
  • has the feeling of food sticking in the throat
  • dribbles or has food escaping from the mouth
  • coughs during or after eating, drinking or taking edication
  • eats or drinks very slowly
  • refuses food and fluids
  • doesn’t swallow food, fluids or medication but keeps it in the mouth.
 

Do

When someone is dying, their family can be upset that they are not eating or drinking. You can:

  • reassure the family
  • let them offer the person sips of water or if appropriate moisten the mouth with a wet swab.
 

My reflections:

 

Dysphagia is difficulty with what?
 

What are some of the signs I should look out for and report to nursing/supervisory staff?

See related palliAGED Practice Tip Sheets:

Advance Dementia

Nutrition and Hydration

Oral Care

 

For references and the latest version of all the Tip Sheets visit www.palliaged.com.au/PracticeTipSheets

 

CareSearch is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
Updated July 2022

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