Stroke patients benefit from new snack project
Stroke patients at Camborne Redruth Community Hospital are benefiting from a new project, which looks to provide a new variety of food options for those with swallowing difficulties.
A specialist team from the Trust are behind the project. Together they started the project to respond to the limited variety of food options for patients who are on texture-modified diets due to dysphagia, the medical term for swallowing difficulties.
The team includes:
- Lanyon Stroke Rehabilitation Ward speech and language therapists and dietitians
- hotel services manager
- facilities manager
Dysphagia occurs in 30 to 50% of people following a stroke. Minor abnormalities in swallowing may occur in nearly everyone who experiences an acute stroke.
Previously, patients with dysphagia have been limited to yogurts, custards, and mousses. Now, there are a range of hot, cold, sweet, and savoury options. This creates a positive change for the patients on the ward.
“We have implemented a range of snack options for our level 4, 5 and 6 patients, which have a range of requirements. Such as only having puréed foods, to a moist diet and soft, bite-sized diet. Examples of these options include puréed biscuits, puréed beans on toast and even puréed cheese toasties.” Rebekah Inkster, Speech and Language Therapist
The project has not only improved patient choice, it has also provided more opportunities for swallow rehabilitation, whilst optimising nutritional intake.
“The new puréed range of foods creates additional snack opportunities for our patients. This also provides extra options for patients who are declining main meals.” Rebekah
Since the project has started, the team has received positive feedback from patients. They have commented on how it is good to have different choices whilst on a modified diet. They have also said that the options taste exactly like how they’d expect.
“This is helping to reduce requirements for feeding tubes, including gastrostomies, as patients can meet their nutritional requirements orally.
“We have also developed communication charts covering these snack options to support patients with communication difficulties. This includes making their own choices. We believe that providing patients with these additional snack options will increase positive mental wellbeing and improve rehabilitation outcomes.”