Encore Care Homes is working alongside Dining with Dignity, a specialist training provider, to help meet the needs of residents with dysphagia.
What is dysphagia?
Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulties with swallowing. It is usually caused by nerve or muscle problems, and is very common amongst the elderly.
What support is available?
Because dysphagia usually results in the need for a texture-modified diet, it can limit the range of food they can eat and enjoy. The catering teams at Encore receive training from a specialist Dining with Dignity chef, and take part in bespoke workshops, to learn how to prepare tasty, nutritious and well presented purée meals.
A purée scone
The workshops help catering staff to expand their knowledge of dysphagia, and develop their practical skills. Dining with Dignity also use current training technique to educate staff on the risk of chocking and how it can be prevented.
Stuart Davey, head chef of Fairmile Grange, said:
“The overall dining experience at Encore is very important for our residents, so it is fantastic that the specialist chefs from Dining with Dignity are able to show our kitchen teams how purée diets can look appetizing and still resemble a solid food dish.”
Find out more
You can visit the Encore website, or call 01202 476960.