Dysphagia is when the muscles in your mouth and throat do not work correctly. This can make swallowing food, liquids, or even saliva hard. It can also cause coughing, choking, and vomiting due to swallowing problems. Dysphagia can have many different causes, such as stroke or head trauma. Still, it is most often seen with certain medical conditions that affect the nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, to name just a few. In this article, we will look at assisted living in Bonita Springs, FL help people suffering from dysphagia live better by providing them with special care and daily assistance because this condition requires special attention from caregivers and family members.
How Does It Affect The Elderly?
Dysphagia is a condition that affects the ability to swallow correctly. It can be caused by many different issues, like stroke or Parkinson’s disease. Swallowing problems can lead to malnutrition (when your body does not get enough nutrients to stay healthy), dehydration, and other health problems. These consequences can cause anxiety, depression, and loss of independence for golden age adults with dysphagia.
As well as affecting how you feel about yourself, dysphagia may also cause weight loss due to eating less food because of difficulty swallowing it correctly or because it tastes terrible after being chewed up (due to poor taste buds).
Assisted living communities can also provide these services for their residents with dysphagia, including:
Supervised eating is when a caregiver is present at mealtime to ensure that the resident eats appropriately. It includes monitoring what they eat and ensuring they swallow their food with no problems. Supervised eating can be helpful for people with dysphagia as well as those who have dementia.
Close monitoring: For people with dysphagia, it’s important to have a close monitoring system in place. This involves tracking how much they eat and drink, what they eat, and how they eat and swallow. This can help caregivers identify if there are any changes in the way that someone swallows food or liquid. It also allows them to monitor whether or not an individual is becoming dehydrated or undernourished.
Nutritious food: Healthy eating is a key component of overall wellness and can help prevent numerous health issues, including chronic disease.
The food we eat each day provides essential nutrients to our bodies, such as protein, carbohydrates and fat. Our bodies break down these nutrients into building blocks that are converted into energy for daily activities. In assisted living communities, the food served is soft and easy to chew. This will give residents time to swallow their food without having to rush through it or cough up what they’ve already eaten.
Support and socialization: The elderly needs to be able to socialize and interact with other people. Doing so helps them keep their minds sharp, improves memory, and reduces stress and anxiety. It also improves mood, reduces depression, reduces loneliness, and increases self-esteem.
When someone has dysphagia, they may feel ashamed or embarrassed because of how they eat. This can lead to a feeling of isolation which further worsens their condition by leaving them at home alone with no one around them while they eat their meals. They may also have trouble eating without spilling food everywhere since some foods are harder for people with dysphagia than others. They make sounds when trying not to spill anything onto themselves, like coughing or choking on liquids such as soup or juice!
Conclusion
This is a difficult condition, but it’s also one that can be managed. As you can see from the information above, your loved one may need special attention and care when eating. With proper treatment and help from a senior-friendly independent living community, they can live their best life possible.
