Aging in Place: Sensory Interventions to Improve Swallow Function
Presented by Angela Mansolillo
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Dysphagia clinicians typically utilize diet modifications to compensate for swallow impairments. We thicken liquids and modify food textures to make them easier for our clients to swallow. Unfortunately, these dietary modifications are often unpalatable to our clients, and poor adherence impacts quality of life. This course will provide dysphagia clinicians with sensory approaches to dysphagia diets for aging clients and their family members and caregivers that will stimulate both swallow function and appetite rather than simply compensate for swallow impairments.
Learning Objectives
- Examine sensory changes in aging clients that have the potential to impact oral intake, appetite, and swallow function
- Evaluate the impact of sensory input on swallow function in healthy aging individuals
- Develop management plans that incorporate sensory interventions to improve swallow function in aging clients with dysphagia
- Integrate strategies to improve appetite and oral intake into dysphagia management plans
Meet your instructor
Angela Mansolillo
Angela Mansolillo is a speech-language pathologist and board-certified specialist in swallowing disorders with more than 25 years of experience. She is currently a senior speech-language pathologist at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she provides evaluation and treatment services for adults and…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Aging and the Sensory System
Aging has impacts on most physiological systems, including sensory perception. This chapter will provide participants with an understanding of these age-related changes to the sensory system in preparation for the development of a sensory intervention plan.
2. Sensory Input and Swallowing
What are the specific impacts of sensory input on swallowing, and why do they occur? This chapter will discuss the neurology of swallowing, specifically as it relates to the transmission of sensory information.
3. Sensory Interventions: Rethinking the Dysphagia Diet
How can we operationalize what we know about sensory input and swallowing? Let’s review the evidence for specific sensory interventions that will have a positive impact on swallow efficiency, including the role of cold, taste, and chemesthetic input.
4. Sensory Input and Appetite
Sometimes, it’s not just about swallowing. This chapter will discuss the role of appetite and anticipatory cues. It will provide clinicians with tools that will have a positive impact on the volume and variety of oral intake for our aging clients.
More courses in this series
Aging in Place: Cognitive Changes in Aging and Strategies for Success
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Aging in Place: Swallow Exercise—When, Who, and How Much?
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Aging in Place: Frailty, Sarcopenia, and Swallowing, OH MY!
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Aging in Place: What It Means and How We Can Help
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Aging in Place: The Importance of Saliva
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Aging in Place: Sensory Interventions to Improve Swallow Function
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