Caring For Patients with Dysphagia

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Dysphagia is a condition that needs much attention from all areas of staff in a nursing home setting. Dysphagia is more prominent among older populations and will be a significant issue considering our population is aging very rapidly. Every employee needs to be equipped with the knowledge about dysphagia. Nursing can help dysphagia because they are with their patients’ everyday administering hands on treatment. This paper will discuss what dysphagia is, factors leading to the cause of dysphagia, how it is assessed, how this disorder affects quality of life and how can nursing professionals gear their knowledge in creating greater quality of life and care for patients with dysphagia.
Dysphagia is defined as any dysfunction from mastication to passage of the food or liquid into the esophagus (Eisenstadt, pg. 18). There are two categories to label the different types of dysphagia. The first category is Oropharyngeal dysphagia. This dysphagia is characterized by the difficulty of initiating swallowing and moving food from the mouth to the esophagus (Eisenstadt, pg. 18). As a result, patients who have this type of dysphagia either cough or choke on liquids that are too thin. Patients diagnosed with Oropharyngeal dysphagia may also have a hoarse, or wet voice and sometimes cannot control the saliva from their mouth. Oropharyngeal dysphagia is usually associated with patients who have various neurological disorders (Eisenstadt, pg. 18). This may include Parkinson’s disease or stroke patients.
The second type of dysphagia is called Esophageal dysphagia. This type dysphagia is characterized by the diminished ability to move food through the esophagus (Eisenstadt, pg. 18). This may cause chest pain or cause the patient to spit up their f...

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...llen S. “Dysphagia and Aspiration Pneumonia in Older Adults.” Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 22 (2010) 17-22 *

3. Eslick, G. D., and N. J. Talley. "Dysphagia: Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Impact on Quality of Life - a Population-based Study." Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 27.10 (2008): 971-79. *

4. Garcia, Jane M., Edgar Chambers, Megan Clark, Jennifer Helverson, and Ziad Matta. "Quality of Care Issues for Dysphagia: Modifications Involving Oral Fluids." Journal of Clinical Nursing 19 (2010): 1618-624. Blackwell Publishing.*

5. Watt, E., and M. N. Whyte. "The Experience of Dysphagia and Its Effect on the Quality of Life of Patients with Esophageal Cancer." European Journal of Cancer Care 12 (2003): 183-93.*

6. Wright, Kelly J. “Administering medication to adult patients with dysphagia.” Nursing Standard. 23.29 (2009): 61-68.*

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