Speak Out
June 2014
23
feature
Dysphagia
is common in adults
with developmental disability and is
associated with significant health risks,
yet there is room for improvement in
organisational responses to dysphagia
support in the Victorian disability
sector. An interest in improving
dysphagia management for adults with
developmental disability, and influencing
strategy at an organisational level, led to
“the Dysphagia Project” – an initiative of
Scope, in partnership with Able Australia
and Yooralla.
A consultation with adults with
dysphagia, family members, support
workers and allied health professionals
was conducted to identify what “good
practice” in mealtime support means.
The results of the consultation, which
involved focus groups, interviews
and a questionnaire, revealed
overwhelming support for a range
of service improvements including
mandatory training for support
workers, dysphagia policy and incident
reporting procedures. Among other
recommendations, the need for
ongoing opportunities for learning and
development for support workers was
highlighted as a priority.
The project has raised the profile of
dysphagia as an important health
issue for people with disability in the
participating organisations. It has also
provided a springboard for promoting
and implementing organisational
improvements in dysphagia
management.
A practical outcome of the project has
been the development of the Quality
Mealtime Support Training Resource,
designed for use by speech pathologists
in mealtime assistance training. The
resource, in the form of a disc, includes
training activity ideas, handouts and an
MP4 video which describes key features
of dysphagia, including animations to
illustrate the difference between choking
and aspiration. Comments from people
with disability, a support worker, parent
and service coordinator provide different
perspectives on mealtime support and
highlight the importance of a team
approach. For more information about
the project and resource please contact
Scope.
Rosie Miller
Coordinator, Dysphagia Project, Scope
Meredith Prain, PhD
Able Australia
Janet Wilson
Yooralla
The Dysphagia Project
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