Dysphagia Support
Allow our dietitian and nutritionist for dysphagia, commonly known as swallowing disorder, help you manage associated symptoms through personalized nutritional interventions.
Do dietitians help with dysphagia?
Yes, qualified registered dietitians can help support dysphagia management, along with other medical professionals. That said, not all dietitians do so.
How Can a Dietitian and Nutritionist for Dysphagia Help?
Registered dietitians and nutritionists can help manage the swallowing disorder known as dysphagia in a number of ways:
✓ Discuss normal versus abnormal anatomy and function related to chewing and swallowing.
✓ Screen for signs, symptoms and risk factors, e.g., conditions and medications, that are associated with chewing and swallowing difficulty.
✓ Discuss the health and safety risks associated with dysphagia, e.g., choking, aspiration, pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, and fear/anxiety.
✓ Determine whether a referral for further swallowing assessment is needed.
✓ Consult with other medical providers as needed on clients’ behalf, if needed and if viable.
✓ Provide support strategies for issues such as food avoidance, poor appetite, lack of interest, mealtime anxiety and inadequate intake or malnutrition.
✓ Assess nutritional status, physical and mental well-being for clients with dysphagia.
✓ Determine whether nutritional or hydration support is needed, e.g., nutritional supplements or nutrient dense food recommendations.
✓ Assess chewing and swallowing ability and recommend dysphagia diets as indicated, e.g., evidence-based, standardized texture modified food and fluid guidelines.
✓ Co-create with a dietitian and nutritionist a personalized dysphagia meal plan and adjust the plan as needed.
✓ Provide education regarding texture modified food/fluid preparation and recommendations for commercially available products.
✓ Recommend safe swallowing strategies, e.g., adaptive eating utensils, body positioning, environmental adaptations, and food amount and pacing.
✓ Screen oral health status as a factor in eating difficulty and as a predictor for aspiration pneumonia.
✓ Discuss any other concerns with a dysphagia dietitian and nutritionist.
✓ Address other co-existing conditions, needs and goals.
✓ And more.
Related Services
Dysphagia Dietitian & Nutritionist: Onsite & Virtual
At JM Nutrition, you can book an on-site, in-person appointment with a dietitian and nutritionist for dysphagia management from our 6 Ontario locations and 1 Nova Scotia office location in Halifax, as well as our location in British Columbia, in Vancouver.
We also offer services virtually with our online dietitians and nutritionists. For more information visit: Calgary dietitian, Edmonton dietitian, dietitian Saskatoon & Regina, Winnipeg dietitian, NB: Saint John, Fredericton, Moncton, dietitian St. John’s NL, Nutritionist PEI: Charlottetown services
Contact us for a no-obligation phone consultation during which we can:
✓ outline how the process looks like
✓ discuss your goals and concerns
✓ explain how billing and pricing work
✓ address concerns about insurance, if any
✓ answer any other questions
What are the fees associated with a dietitian and nutritionist?
Dysphagia, Swallowing Disorder Dietitian and Nutritionist Recommended Resources
Take a look at the below dysphagia resources recommended by our registered dietitians and nutritionists for swallowing disorders.