Cover story – advertising feature
Dining with dignity: enhancing mealtimes for residents with dysphagia
Sophia Cornelius, development dietitian at apetito and Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional, discusses the importance of both safety and meal presentation for those who require texture modified meals.
Catering for a range of specialist dietary needs can bring added complexity to busy kitchens; however, it is vital that it be managed correctly to ensure that residents still receive good nutrition tailored to individual needs.
When preparing meals for those living
with swallowing difficulties – also known as dysphagia – there are many factors that need to be considered, with two of these being safety and meal presentation.
Safety assured Texture modified diets are the primary management for dysphagia; therefore, ensuring that residents are provided with the correct texture is essential for their health and wellbeing. If meals are incorrectly prepared or
altered to match flavour preferences, the consequences can be severe. Since 2018, deaths due to choking amongst the elderly
Better than ever!
In our commitment to supporting dysphagia-friendly dining, we have launched a new and improved version of our customer-favourite Purée Fish and Chips, making it better than ever! Using a special dual-layer mould that sees a layer of puréed white fish wrapped in a puréed golden batter, we have enhanced the visual appearance of this meal to closely resemble the traditional dish and improve on our extensive offering for those requiring an IDDSI Level 4 diet.
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Volume 10 Issue 4 April 2025
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
Broomfield Village: a ‘home from home’ as a matter of Principle
Care Show London 2025: innovation and collaboration
Dining with dignity: enhancing mealtimes for residents with dysphagia
have increased by an alarming 57 per cent, and a 2019 report revealed that people over 65 are at significantly higher risk of choking-related deaths in hospitals and care homes compared to their own homes.
The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) provides guidance on the different levels of food and drink modification, and outlines the textural characteristics for each to ensure a safe consistency. One way that care home staff can help
to reduce the risk for those living with dysphagia – and provide peace of mind to both residents and their families – is through learning and carrying out the testing methods developed by IDDSI to ensure that the meal meets a safe texture for the individual needs of the resident. These tests can be performed by anyone using a range of common eating utensils, including forks and spoons, and detailed directions can be accessed for free on the IDDSI website.
For residents who take longer to eat
everything on their plate, staff should also be encouraged to re-test the consistency
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com April 2025
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