Recently, a staff member at a facility casually asked me what I was going to do next year, ''when everyone had to eat a regular diet.'' I asked what she meant by a ''regular diet,'' and she that nursing homes would no longer be allowed to serve pureed or mechanical soft foods to any resident. She said that she had been told that this was a ''new ...

In long term care, the title of Speech Pathologist is often more closely associated with swallowing than with communication. In my experience, most referrals are due to patients either not consuming an adequate amount of foods and liquids, to patients coughing during meals, or to patients demonstrating texture aversion and/or behaviors such as ...

Recently, I have been thinking of goals and how we write them. Many of us use a ''goal bank'' at our jobs, which is helpful because we don't have to type the same wording over and over; however, we have to be very careful not to fall into the pitfall of ''cookie-cutter'' goals. We all learned to write clear, measurable goals in graduate school, ...

I have heard parents say this many times when we discuss the eating habits of their ''picky eater:'' ''Hes/she used to eat (preferred food), but not anymore! Now I can barely get them to eat or try anything new. He/she eats the same things over and over.'' Our family has been dealing with this at home with our two-year-old picky eater. ...

Are you stressed because the holidays are upon us and your child is a picky eater? Is every meal a struggle and is it even worse when you are sitting with your in-laws and family friends and can feel the tension thicken in the air? Well, hang on! Here are some tips to help you prepare yourself and your child for mealtime challenges that lie ...

During the month of December we have been celebrating the holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa at our preschool. The holiday of Kwanzaa, like any holiday, embraces certain symbols that embody the message and purpose of the holiday. Here you can find a complete description of these symbols, one of which is corn. I decided to use ...

Deficits in memory, orientation, attention, reasoning and safety awareness directly impact a patient's ability to participate in meals safely and efficiently for adequate PO intake. I have a few strategies that I use regularly: Expect the unexpected. A patient may be calm and cooperative at breakfast, but become agitated in ...

Happy December everyone -- one of my most favorite months of the year! Time with family and friends, gift-giving and baking holiday treats fill our days and nights with fun! Today's recipe is one I would like to share that really represents what the holidays are all about! My 4-year-old nephew made this yummy treat at home with his ...

There is often no easy answer to address swallowing deficits in the elderly. I am sometimes approached by staff and families because a resident ''cannot swallow'' or ''is not eating/ drinking/ taking medications,'' but upon evaluation, I find no physical cause, but rather a cognitive-based problem. There are other patients who do have ...

As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, I realize that many families and caregivers, as well as staff, struggle to include the elderly patient with swallowing or cognitive-communication impairments in the holiday celebrations. If Mom or Dad have swallowing or memory deficits, it definitely impacts the celebration. It's awkward to talk ...