Dysphagia Training

Dysphagia Training Course

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a common disorder that can lead to serious health complications if left undiagnosed or untreated. This dysphagia training provides essential training to help identify, assess, and manage dysphagia appropriately. Dysphagia awareness is important to help people suffering from the condition.

This course aims to raise awareness and knowledge of dysphagia and common swallowing problems.

Your staff will learn the common causes of swallowing difficulties and how to help reduce the risk of choking.

This course is vital for any staff working with individuals who suffer with swallowing difficulties.

• Course Duration: 2- 3 hours
• Course Level: Level 2
• Certificate: 1-year certificate
• Max Delegates: 12
• Practical: No

Course Outline: Dysphagia Training

The Dysphagia Training course aims to equip healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to identify and manage swallowing difficulties in individuals.

Participants will gain a good understanding of dysphagia, its causes, and the appropriate interventions to ensure safe and effective swallowing.

Module 1: Understanding Dysphagia

In this module, you’ll grasp the fundamentals of dysphagia. You’ll learn what causes dysphagia, recognize its symptoms, and understand the potential complications it can lead to.

• Causes, symptoms, and complications of dysphagia.

Module 2: Impact on Individuals

Module 2 delves into how dysphagia affects individuals. We’ll explore its physical, psychological, and social impacts to give you a holistic view.

• Physical, psychological, and social effects of dysphagia.

Module 3: Identifying Risks

Discover how to spot the risk factors that make some individuals more susceptible to dysphagia. We’ll teach you how to identify those at risk.

• Recognizing risk factors for dysphagia.
• Identifying at-risk individuals.

Module 4: Assessment and Reporting

This module is all about practical skills. You’ll learn how to assess, monitor, and report signs of dysphagia effectively.

• How to assess, monitor, and report dysphagia signs.

Module 5: Intervention Strategies

Explore the strategies used to support individuals with dysphagia. We’ll discuss and demonstrate various intervention methods.

• Discussing and demonstrating intervention methods.

Module 6: Safe Feeding Techniques

Here, we’ll focus on hands-on skills. You’ll understand and practice safe feeding techniques for individuals with dysphagia.

• Hands-on practice of safe feeding techniques.

Module 7: Multidisciplinary Approach

The final module explains the importance of teamwork. You’ll learn about the role of multidisciplinary teams in dysphagia management and develop collaboration skills.

• Role of multidisciplinary teams.
• Developing effective collaboration skills.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the dysphagia course, you will be able to:

1. Define dysphagia, explain its causes and common symptoms, and discuss its potential effects on individuals. 2 .Describe the impact of dysphagia on individuals’ physical, psychological, and social wellbeing.
2. Understand the risk factors for dysphagia and be able to identify at-risk individuals in a healthcare or social care
3. Assess, monitor, and report signs of dysphagia in a timely and accurate
4. Apply suitable intervention strategies for individuals with dysphagia, including dietary modifications, swallowing techniques, and referral to relevant professionals (such as speech and language therapists) when
5. Demonstrate understanding of safe feeding techniques to prevent aspiration and choking in individuals with
6. Understand the role of multi-disciplinary teams in managing dysphagia and effectively collaborate with team

Who Should Attend:

General:

• Anyone who cares for someone who might have trouble swallowing. This would be nurses, parents, and carers.
• People who want to learn how to help those with swallowing difficulties.

Specific:

• Family members of people with dysphagia.
• Caregivers, including babysitters and nannies.
• Staff at nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
• Anyone who works with children or the elderly.

Benefits of Attending Our Dysphagia Course

Improved Patient Care:

• Early Recognition: Trained staff can notice signs of dysphagia sooner, leading to faster diagnosis and treatment.
• Reduced Choking Risk: Understanding dysphagia helps staff use safe swallowing techniques, lowering the chance of food or liquid going into the lungs and causing pneumonia.
• Better Quality of Life: Effective dysphagia management helps patients keep good nutrition and hydration, improving overall health and well-being.
• Increased Patient Comfort: Dysphagia training helps staff provide a more comfortable and respectful dining experience for patients with swallowing difficulties.

Improved Staff Skills & Confidence:

• Knowledge & Skill Building: Courses give participants the know-how to identify swallowing issues, use safe feeding practices, and work well with other healthcare professionals.
• Decreased Staff Stress & Anxiety: Understanding dysphagia makes staff feel more sure about helping patients with swallowing problems, lowering stress levels.
• Better Communication: Training helps staff talk better with each other, patients, and families about managing dysphagia.

Additional Advantages:

• Cost Savings: Catching and managing dysphagia early can stop patients needing costly hospital stays and treatments.
• Decreased Legal Risks: Well-trained staff are better prepared to handle dysphagia-related issues, reducing legal problems for the healthcare facility.
• Enhanced Facility Reputation: Investing in staff training shows a commitment to patient safety and quality care, improving the facility’s reputation.

Helpful Blog post: Find answers to the reasons choking is more common in elderly homes

Questions and Answers 

What is dysphagia awareness?

Dysphagia awareness training means learning about difficulty swallowing through special classes or specialist training. Dysphagia awareness training is usually for doctors, nurses, people who help with food, and family members who look after someone with trouble swallowing.

The main goals of dysphagia awareness training are:

• Understanding dysphagia: Explaining what dysphagia is, why it happens (like problems with the brain or throat), and what signs to look for.
• Spotting risks: Helping people see who might have trouble swallowing, like older folks, those who had a stroke, or people with certain illnesses.
• Noticing signs: Teaching how to see signs that someone might have trouble swallowing, like coughing or choking when eating, keeping food in their mouth, drooling, or losing weight.
• Problems it can cause: Talking about what bad things can happen because of dysphagia, like not getting enough food or water, getting pneumonia, or feeling unhappy.
• Ways to help: Sharing different ways to help with dysphagia, like changing what someone eats or drinks (like thick liquids or soft foods), special ways to swallow, or treatments.
• Feeding safely: Teaching how to feed someone safely if they have trouble swallowing, like how to sit them, watch them, and help them eat.

The training help anyone find problems early, get the right help on time, and feed people safely to stop swallowing problems and make life better for people who live with it.

What is dysphagia training for carers?

Dysphagia training for carers (caregivers) is a special kind of learning focused on giving information and skills to people who help or look after those with trouble swallowing.

The main parts of dysphagia training for carers usually include:

• Understanding dysphagia: Talking about what dysphagia is, why it happens, different kinds, and what could go wrong if it’s not handled well.
• Spotting signs: Teaching carers how to see signs of dysphagia, like coughing or choking when eating, keeping food in their mouth, drooling, or losing weight.
• Finding risks and testing: Showing carers how to see who might have dysphagia and do simple tests to check swallowing.
• Changing diets: Sharing information on different kinds of foods and drinks that might help people with dysphagia, like thicker liquids or soft foods.
• Feeding safely: Showing the right way to sit and feed someone to make sure they swallow safely and easily, like tucking the chin or giving small bites.
• Preventing problems: Teaching carers how to see signs of food or liquid going into the wrong place and what to do right away.
• Mouth care and drinking enough: Talking about why it’s important to keep the mouth clean and make sure someone with dysphagia drinks enough.
• Talking and writing: Training carers how to talk well with doctors and nurses, write down what they see, and tell if there are any changes or worries about swallowing.

Dysphagia training for carers might be done by speech therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, or other healthcare experts who know a lot about helping with dysphagia. The training wants to make sure carers have the right information and skills to look after those who have trouble swallowing, so they can have a better life and stay away from problems.

What are 3 things you should do when feeding a patient with dysphagia?

When feeding someone with swallowing problems (dysphagia), there are some important things to do to keep them safe and well.

Here are three big things you should do:

1. Get them in the right position: It’s super important for them to sit up straight, with their head slightly forward. This helps their swallowing muscles work better and stops food or drink going into their airway.
2. Give them the right food and drink: People with dysphagia might need their food and drink to be changed. Follow what the speech therapist or doctors say, like having thicker drinks or softer foods. Doing this lowers the chance of choking or having food go into the wrong place.
3. Use the right way to feed them: Try these tips to help them swallow safely:

a. Give small bites or sips, and give them time to swallow before offering more.

b. Use the “chin tuck” trick – gently move their chin towards their chest when they swallow to protect their airway.

c. Ask them to swallow more than once for each bite or sip to clear their throat.

d. Switch between solid and liquid foods to help clean their mouth and throat. Take our food safety course level 2.

And remember, position patient well, pay attention, and watch for any signs they’re struggling, like coughing or changes in breathing. If you see something wrong, be ready to help. Having the right training and following what the experts say is important to keep people with dysphagia safe and well.

What is dysphagia training level 2?

Dysphagia level 2 training teaches healthcare assistants and support workers about swallowing problems. It helps them spot issues and give basic help to patients.

The training covers:

• What dysphagia is – trouble swallowing food or drink
• Signs someone might have problems swallowing
• Ways to check if a patient has swallowing difficulties
• How to feed and position someone safely to avoid choking
• Working with other staff like speech therapists to manage dysphagia

What are the four types of dysphagia

Dysphagia, or swallowing trouble, can be sorted into four main groups based on where the problem is happening. Here’s a simple breakdown:

1. Mouth and Throat Dysphagia (High Dysphagia): This is when it’s hard to move food or drink from the mouth to the back of the throat. It is when food gets stuck in your mouth or throat.
2. Food Pipe Dysphagia (Low Dysphagia): This happens when food or drink struggles to go down the food pipe (esophagus), which connects the mouth to the stomach. It’s more of food getting stuck on its way to the tummy.
3. Food Pipe Entrance Dysphagia (EGJ Dysphagia): This is a special kind of food pipe trouble where the issue is right where the food pipe meets the stomach. Think of it as a traffic jam at the end of the food pipe.
4. Nearby Tissue Pressure Dysphagia: This is the rarest kind and occurs when something outside the food pipe, like a lump, pushes on it and makes swallowing hard. Imagine something squishing the food pipe from the outside.

Knowing about these different types can help doctors figure out what’s causing someone’s swallowing trouble and how to treat it. But for starters, just understanding that swallowing problems can happen in different ways and that training can help you assist someone no matter the type, is a good beginning. You can register for our dysphagia awareness course above as an individual or group.

Is dysphagia a red flag?

Yes, dysphagia can be a red flag because it might indicate an underlying medical issue.

If someone experiences difficulty swallowing, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional for evaluation and appropriate care.

Is dysphagia a mental illness?

No, dysphagia is not a mental illness.

It is a physical condition characterized by difficulty swallowing food, liquids, or saliva due to problems with the swallowing process.

What is dysphagia level 2 training?

Dysphagia level 2 training typically refers to a specific level of training for healthcare professionals and caregivers on managing and assisting individuals with moderate dysphagia.

It includes techniques for safe feeding and dietary modifications.

What is the patient education for dysphagia?

Patient education for dysphagia involves providing information and guidance to individuals with swallowing difficulties.

It helps them understand their condition, dietary restrictions, and strategies to manage their dysphagia effectively.

What is a Level 2 chopped or minced diet?

A Level 2 chopped or minced diet is a specific dietary modification for individuals with dysphagia. It involves preparing solid foods in a way that makes them easier to chew and swallow.

Foods are chopped into small, manageable pieces to reduce the risk of choking.

What are level 2 liquids for dysphagia?

Level 2 liquids for dysphagia are liquids with a specific thickness and consistency that make them easier for individuals with dysphagia to swallow safely.

These liquids are typically thicker than regular fluids but not as thick as Level 3 liquids.

Where do I go if I have dysphagia?

If you think you have dysphagia, the first step is to see your doctor or GP. They can evaluate your condition, determine its severity, and refer you to specialists if needed, such as speech therapists or gastroenterologists, for further assessment and treatment.

What are the 4 stages of dysphagia?

Dysphagia is often categorized into different stages to describe its severity:

• Mild Dysphagia: In this stage, swallowing difficulties are relatively minor and may only occur occasionally.
• Moderate Dysphagia: Swallowing problems are more noticeable and frequent, requiring some dietary changes.
• Severe Dysphagia: Swallowing is significantly impaired, and individuals may need special diets or feeding tubes.
• Profound Dysphagia: This is the most severe stage, where individuals are unable to swallow safely and may require intensive medical interventions or tube feeding.

Is dysphagia considered a disability?