Archives

Dysphagia and Multiple Sclerosis

December 24, 2021 by Megan Berg.
Dysphagia can sneak up on people with multiple sclerosis. How do we quantify and monitor this over time so that it doesn’t get the best of the situation? This handout is designed for patients confronting multiple sclerosis and contains the DYMUS questionnaire as well as information regarding what to expect regarding dysphagia and MS over time.
This content is only available to members.

Dual and Mixed Consistencies

December 24, 2021 by Megan Berg.
Dual or mixed consistencies are made up of both liquids and solids, which can make management and tolerance of these types of foods even more difficult. This handout explains what dual/mixed consistencies are, provides examples, explains why these consistencies are challenging, and provides suggestions for compensatory strategies.
This content is only available to members.

Disorders of the Pharyngeal Stage of Swallowing

December 24, 2021 by Megan Berg.
This handout provides a table of disorders that may be observed during the pharyngeal stage of swallowing during an objective swallowing evaluation, the cause behind those observations, and more information related to each disorder.
This content is only available to members.

Disorders of the Oral Stage of Swallowing

December 24, 2021 by Megan Berg.
This handout provides a table of disorders that may be observed during the oral stage of swallowing during a bedside swallow evaluation or objective swallowing evaluation and the cause behind those observations.
This content is only available to members.

Differential Diagnosis: Presbyphagia

December 24, 2021 by Megan Berg.
This handout is for SLPs performing differential diagnosis assessments for disease-related swallow impairments vs age-related swallow impairments. The handout describes the oral and motor symptomatic differences for accurate differential diagnosis.
This content is only available to members.

Cranial Nerve Screening

December 23, 2021 by Megan Berg.
This handout provides a review of cranial nerves, their primary functions, red flags, or warning signs that you might observe, and quick screens to rule out cranial nerve involvement. If any concerns are noted during screening, a more comprehensive cranial nerve evaluation is warranted.
This content is only available to members.

Considerations and Strategies for Caregiver Assisted Feeding

December 23, 2021 by Megan Berg.
Providing feeding assistance may seem like a simple task, but there are many considerations to follow, so the person swallows safely. This handout will explain the considerations and strategies to make mealtime an enjoyable experience for the person receiving feeding assistance.
This content is only available to members.

Considerations and Contraindications for Tracheostomy Weaning

December 23, 2021 by Megan Berg.
The decision to begin the tracheostomy weaning process is a complicated decision for the speech pathologist and the medical team. This handout provides a clinical judgement decision tree considerations, contraindications, and a guideline for the stages of the trach weaning process.
This content is only available to members.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Difficulty Swallowing

December 23, 2021 by Megan Berg.
Many patients diagnosed with COPD struggle with swallowing. This is frequently related to the coordination of respiration and swallowing. This handout outlines what COPD is and how it affects swallowing. It includes several strategies for patients to try that are aimed at improving this coordination and reducing signs/symptoms of dysphagia.
This content is only available to members.