Dont Choke On It!

Helping Patients Swallow Safely With Dysphagia Awareness Training

Andrea Stroud, Dysphagia Training Coordinator and Nicola Davidson, Dysphagia Training Assistant
Dorset Speech & Language Therapy Service
Safeguarding
Good dysphagia management by properly trained staff can minimise the risks faced by patients who may
otherwise be exposed to serious harm from choking or aspirating, both of which have potentially fatal
consequences. This was highlighted by the cases of Rita Smith (1) and Raymond Rees Lewis (2), both of whom
died after untrained staff failed to adhere to Speech & Language Therapy recommendations.
Introducing
The Dysphagia Training
Project
Patients throughout Dorset were receiving
different levels of care dependant on the
dysphagia training that their nursing/care
staff received. The Dysphagia Training
Project was set up to provide an equal and
consistent approach, and has developed a
high quality training package that was
shortlisted for the National Patient
Safety Awards 2010.
Why Else Do We Need
Dysphagia Awareness
Training?
To save the NHS the costs associated
with re-admission to hospital. Training
nurses/carers in general dysphagia
awareness can prevent avoidable
aspiration pneumonia within 2-3 weeks
of discharge.(3)
To prevent patients being placed nil by
mouth unnecessarily
To meet the standards of the Inter
Professional Dysphagia Framework (4)
RCP guidelines state that Any stroke
patient with continuing problems with
swallowing food or liquid safely should
have carers trained in the identification
and management of swallowing
difficulties.(5)
The Training
Modules
Dysphagia Awareness Training (DAT) - Is
for all healthcare workers caring for
dysphagic patients. Participants investigate
the causes, signs, and symptoms of
swallowing difficulties, and how to manage
these. An insight is gained into what it might
feel like to be a patient through practical
sessions.
DAT Lite - A module specifically for nursing
home staff, provided within the nursing
home, allowing optimum numbers to attend.
Water Swallow Screen A module for
medics and stroke unit nurses. This ensures
that a stroke patients ability to eat and drink
safely can be screened within hours of
admission.
Catering Training - Our new module for
catering staff increases awareness of
texture modified diets, why they are
necessary and what can be done to make
food more appealing to dysphagic patients.

image
Kirstine Davies (Staff Nurse) the
1,000
th
DAT attendee, with Marie-
Claire Lawson, Speech and
Language Therapist, May 2010.
Excellent Outcomes
Substantial increase in attendees
dysphagia knowledge base (6)
Significant rise in attendees
confidence to feed someone with
swallowing difficulties and ensure
they are eating & drinking
appropriately (7)
More staff adhering to Speech and
Language Therapy
recommendations, improving levels of
care (8)
Increase in referrals made by doctors
(9)
Reduction in patient waiting times (9)
More than 1600 staff trained to date
(6)
For enquiries contact Suzanne Shaw, Dysphagia Training Administrator on 01305 213065
1. Health and Safety Executive [Internet]. [13 March 2014; cited 23 June 2014]; Available from: http://press.hse.gov.uk/2014/uks-biggest-care-home-provider-fined-over-fish-chip-death/2. Western Telegraph
[Internet]. [26 September 2007; cited June 2014]; Available from http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/1713604.print/ 3. Heritage M. Enabling Older People to Eat Safely At Home 2002 4. Boaden E,
Davies S, Storey L, Watkins C. Inter Professional Dysphagia Framework; 2006 5. Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party. National clinical guideline for stroke, 4th edition. London: Royal College of Physicians,
2012. P. 101 6.Dorset Speech & Language Therapy Service, Dysphagia Training Database Reports; 2014 7. Attendee Course Evaluation Forms; 2005 2014 8. Dorset Speech & Language Therapy Service.
Lunchtime Feeding Record Audit; 2008 9. Dorset Speech & Language Therapy Service. New Referral Audit; 2008

One of the best workshops I have attended (45 years of nursing!). This made me more
confident (feeding someone with a swallowing difficulty) and more aware of the risks of not
doing it properly Very much improved my working practice. (7)