Dysphagia Research Bites

E02 Dysphagia & Dementia Part 1: What we Need to Learn & Unlearn with Jackie Rodriguez

Dysphagia Research Bites

Show Notes

Dysphagia doesn't show up in isolation. It shows up alongside memory loss, behavioural & sensory changes, communication breakdowns and alongside an aging swallow. In part 1 of this episode of Dysphagia Research Bites, Chantelle sits down with Jackie Rodriguez, Speech-Language Pathologist, to unpack the dual diagnosis challenge of dementia and dysphagia, and why assessing swallowing in this population requires a fundamentally different clinical lens.

In this episode we cover:

Why dementia and dysphagia together present a unique and underrecognised clinical challenge Jackie's story of how this became an area of interest An introduction to the article: Dysphagia in Persons with Dementia: The Dual Diagnosis Challenge by Michelle Tristani A discussion on terminology and why the language we use with this population matters Functional approaches to assessing dysphagia in adults with dementia Some cognitive assessments that SLPs should know about

Assessments mentioned in this episode:

Dementia Mealtime Assessment Tool (DMAT) Environment & Communication Assessment Toolkit (ECAT) for Dementia Care The Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) Cognitive Linguistic Quick Test (CLQT) Global Deterioration Scale (GDS)

Be sure to check out Jackie’s ebook: The SLPs Guide to Dementia You can find it here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-SLPs-Guide-to-Dementia-11781923

The publication this episode is based on: Dysphagia in Persons with Dementia: Tristani, M (2016). The Dual Diagnosis Challenge. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups Volume 1, Number 15 Pages 105-116 https://doi.org/10.1044/persp1.SIG15.105

For comprehensive evidence-based dysphagia education beyond the podcast, head to: https://www.dysphagiabites.com/clinical-swallow-evaluation-course

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