How to Treat Patients With Dementia That Have Trouble Swallowing

Like with many neurodegenerative diagnoses, patients with dementia can have difficulty swallowing. In fact, dysphagia is a part of the disease process. The cognitive-communication deficits that are a part of dementia can also sometimes make dysphagia evaluation and treatment confusing or difficult. What’s an SLP to do? For SLPs who work in the medical setting, evaluating and treating patients with dementia is a common part of our job. As always - no two patients are alike. And patients with dementia can vary greatly in their clinical presentation.
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CITED ARTICLES:
American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. (n.d.). Adult Dysphagia. ASHA Practice Portal. Retrieved from www.asha.org/p...
The Dementia Mealtime Assessment Tool. (n.d.) Available at www.thedmate.com
Smith, H. A., Kindell, J., Baldwin, R. C., Waterman, D., & Makin, A. J. (2009). Swallowing problems and dementia in acute hospital settings: practical guidance for the management of dysphagia. Clinical medicine (London, England), 9(6), 544-548. doi.org/10.786...
American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. (n.d.). Adult Dysphagia. ASHA Practice Portal. Retrieved from www.asha.org/p...
Polovoy, C. (2015, Oct 1). Stepping Yp to the Plate. The ASHA Leader. 20(10). Retrieved from leader.pubs.as...
American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. (n.d.). End-of-Life Issues in Speech-Language Pathology. Clinical Portalt. Retrieved from: www.asha.org/s...
American Geriatrics Society. (2014). American Geriatrics Society Feeding Tubes in Advanced Dementia Position Statement. Journal of American Geriatrics Society. Retrieved from: :www.archcare.o...
SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE PODCAST EPISODES:
#42: Leslie R. Roerk, M.S., CCC-SLP, CDP, BCS-S - How Do We Assess Dysphagia In Patients With Dementia? A Review Of The SLPs Role
syppodcast.com...
#43: Leslie R. Roerk, M.S., CCC-SLP, CDP, BCS-S - Part 2: Treatment Strategies for Patients with Dementia: Now that we’ve diagnosed dysphagia, how the heck do we go about treating it with this population?
syppodcast.com...
#94: Nicole Rogus-Pulia PhD, CCC-SLP - Alzheimer’s Dementia and the Oral Microbiome
syppodcast.com...
#172: End of Life Feeding Decisions: Integrating Nutrition and Swallowing Perspectives - Lyndsay Parker and Morgan Mendenhal
syppodcast.com...
#240 - Mealtime Considerations for Patients with Dementia with Erin Butler, MS, CCC-SLP
syppodcast.com...
www.TheresaRic...

[@oliviaann710]

I actually cannot find the DMAT online anywhere, and it seems their website has shut down!

[@RubyLahna-f6h]

Mom has dementia and she's just starting to have some problems with swallowing..it scares me what's ahead..i think she's about level 5 or 6

[@freetruth111]

same here. i can't see my dad in this condition!

[@wendymann7929]

My dad has alzheimer's any chokes.All the time.. They say there's nothing they can do, because he's too old to get a feeding tube. His sister choked to death that way