Such Sad News

A friend told me last night that the mother of her friend had choked and died. She was lamenting that the family had not been aware of what to look for with a swallowing problem. Such a terrible loss and one that could possibly have been prevented with a little knowledge.

I recall a resident I assessed in an aged care facility who had been put on a modified diet but had refused to follow the speech pathologist’s recommendations. That gentleman often visited the facility coffee shop with his family and ate hot chips. This of course put his health, and life, at risk. On three occasions, he choked. Apart from endangering his own life, the stress and distress on his family and the staff who saved his life, was horrific.

Of course, no one wants to eat differently, to lose their ability to eat exactly as they always have. It’s a grieving process when you have to make changes to such basic ‘entitlements’ such as eating. Those struggling with these changes need our love, support and empathy. If we have the background education and understanding of why changes to food and fluid consistencies are so vital, we can truly provide that support.

We can never have too much information to help us provide the absolute best care to a loved one or aged care facility resident.

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