Meal assistance and special diets

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SECTION 12
Meal assistance and special diets
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Meal assistance and special diets

• Stroke and swallowing problems
• Consequences of eating and swallowing problems
• Observing signs and symptoms of swallowing
  problems
• Management of swallowing problems - safe feeding
  and modified diets
• Assistive devices
• Positioning for meal assistance
• Oral hygiene

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Stroke and eating

• A stroke can leave survivors unable to feed
  themselves or to swallow food or liquid safely.
• Eating
• The effects of a stroke can interfere with moving
  food from the plate to the mouth in two ways such
  as the effects on
• Arm and hand movement
• Cognitive abilities

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Stroke and swallowing problems

• Swallowing Swallowing requires the coordinated
  activity of many muscles to move food from the
  mouth to the stomach.
• Stroke can affect these muscles and their action.
• Weakness in facial muscles and drooling are easy
  to see. But other effects of stroke may be
  invisible to observers and unrecognized by the
  survivor.

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Stroke and swallowing problems

• Effects of a stroke that may make meals
  challenging include
• Difficulty getting the food or drink to the mouth
• Difficulty chewing and moving food in the mouth
• Loss of the normal cough reflex This leaves the
  survivor unable to cough when choking. They may
  silently aspirate (inhale) into their lungs.

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Stroke and swallowing problems

• (contd)
• Decreased alertness and attention. A normal level
  of alertness and attention to eating protects
  against choking.
• Swallowing problems may prevent survivors from
  safely taking in enough nourishment, especially
  during early recovery

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Consequences of problems

• Dehydration
• Not consuming enough liquids
• Can cause dry mouth, constipation, urinary tract
  infection, confusion, and even severe illness or
  death.
• Malnutrition
• Not eating enough
• Can result in malnutrition, weight loss, reduced
  energy, skin breakdown, impaired wound healing,
  and lower resistance to infection.

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Consequences of problems

• Aspiration
• The entry of saliva, solid or liquid food, or
  refluxed stomach contents (stomach contents
  coming back up) into the airway.
• Can cause choking, airway obstruction,
  respiratory problems, and pneumonia.
• Quality of Life
• Can make the survivor reluctant to take part in
  group meals.
• Increasing social isolation and decreasing
  quality of life.

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Common problems

• Coughing or choking during or after meals
• Shortness of breath
• No swallow reflex
• Drooling
• Poor lip closure, loss of food from mouth
• Altered voice quality wet or gurgling voice

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Associated problems

• Spikes in temperature shortly after meals
• Watery eyes when eating or drinking
• Runny nose when eating or drinking
• Spitting food out
• Pocketing of food in cheeks, under tongue, side
  of mouth
• Slow, effortful chewing
• Difficulty swallowing pills

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Associated problems (contd)

• Rapid, uncontrolled eating
• Low intake of solids or fluids
• Avoiding specific foods or fluids
• Throwing head back to swallow
• Dry mouth
• Poor oral care or hygiene
• Dental problems, such as loose or decayed teeth
  or poorly fitting dentures

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Associated problems (contd)

• Weight loss
• History of chest infections
• Poor air intake or weak cough
• Survivor reports
• Tight throat
• Food sticking in throat
• Difficulty swallowing solids
• Reflux or heartburn
• Fullness after eating very little

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Assessing and monitoring swallowing ability

• Several health care professionals play a role
• A trained healthcare professional screens
  survivors for swallowing problems
• A speech-language pathologist assesses
  swallowing ability and recommends diet textures
  and strategies for safe feeding
• A registered dietitian ensures that the
  recommended diet texture or tube feed meets the
  survivors nutrition and hydration needs
• An occupational therapist recommends positioning
  strategies and adaptive equipment

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Management approaches

• Best positioning
• Trunk (upper body) upright at 6090º
• Stabilize with pillows
• Head in midline and flexed forward

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Positioning for meal assistance
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Management approaches

• Monitor feeding rate and amount
• Provide small, frequent meals
• Small amounts ½ 1 teaspoon at a time (do not
  use a tablespoon)
• Medications crush 12 pills at a time in food
• Present one food item at a time if the survivor
  is easily distracted

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Management approaches

• Check for complete swallow
• Laryngeal elevation - that is the movement of the
  Adams apple up and down
• Encourage swallowing twice
• Encourage napkin use if drooling

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Management approaches

• Teach survivor to
• Monitor self-feeding with a mirror
• Remove pocketed food with tongue
• Be aware of drooling
• Remain upright for 30 minutes after meal
• Perform mouth care after meals
• Encourage coughing to clear the throat
• Elevate head of bed 30º to prevent reflux
• Encourage survivor to wear loosely fitting
  clothes and to avoid tight belts
• Ask the survivor how they feel

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Managing swallowing problems

• To eat safely, stroke survivors with swallowing
  problems often need their food textures adapted.
• Type of swallowing problem determines the food
  textures a survivor can swallow safely.
• A survivor who cannot safely swallow thin fluids
  may be able to manage thickened fluids.
• A survivor who cannot manage adapted food
  textures may need to be fed through a tube.
• Tube feeding can provide the calories and
  nutrients needed.

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Diet

• In your workbook (12.3) there are tables
  describing the types of diets that could be
  ordered for a stroke survivor, and what types of
  food you might choose as well as what types of
  food to avoid if you are caring for someone with
  special diet needs (12.4)

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Assistive devices

• Rimmed plates
• A gripper pad to prevent dishes from slipping
• Cup or glass holders
• Modified utensils with built up or bent handles
• Cutting utensils for one-handed use, such as a
  rocker knife, cheese knife, and pizza cutter
• Modified cups with a cut-out or partial lid.

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How you can help

• Observe stroke survivors for signs and symptoms
  of swallowing problems. Contact your team lead
  when you see the signs
• Set up the environment to minimize distractions
  that helps the survivor focus on chewing and
  swallowing
• Use safe feeding practices with all stroke
  survivors
• Discuss concerns with the appropriate person on
  your team

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Oral hygiene

• A clean mouth and clean teeth are essential to
  comfort and good health. Gum disease is linked to
  heart disease, pneumonia, and stroke.
• Bacteria and food particles in the mouth can be
  especially dangerous if aspirated into the lungs.
  
• A clean mouth and teeth are important whether the
  survivor takes food orally or by tube.

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Oral hygiene

• Oral care and assessment
• After meals
• Remove dentures after each meal, if the survivor
  wears them, as food particles can collect and
  cause irritation.
• Check the mouth for food debris.
• Once a day
• Examine the oral cavity and tongue - should be
  pink and moist.

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Oral hygiene

• Oral care and assessment (contd)
• Report these problems
• The mouth should not be dry with patchy white
  areas
• The tongue should not be white and coated

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Upon reflection

• Think about a stroke survivor who had difficulty
  eating.
• What did you do that helped?
•  

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