Living with Dysphagia: An Exploration of the Impact of Dysphagia on Patients and Caregivers

Course Description:

People with dysphagia and their family members and caregivers report significant changes in quality of life associated with their inability to swallow safely and efficiently. Health care workers often focus on the signs and symptoms of the swallowing impairment, and do not consistently address the sociological and psychological burdens that those impairments impose.

This course will describe the quality of life issues reported by individuals with dysphagia and their caregivers. Participants will be provided with strategies to assess not just the dysphagia, but also its potential social, physical, emotional, psychological impacts. Benefits as well as risks of dietary modifications will be discussed and options for diet liberalization will be provided in a context of supporting individual autonomy. Adherence, health literacy, and potential for self-efficacy will be discussed and suggestions for intervention will be provided.