Adult's Speech and Language Therapy
We work with adults who have communication or swallowing needs.
Who’s it for?
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We work with adults over the age of 18 who have a speech, language, communication or swallowing difficulty, which is impacting their life. We work in partnership with family, carers, care teams and other care providers to support a holistic approach to care and treatment. The Speech and Swallowing team works with people with acquired communication or swallowing difficulties including people with long-term conditions and at the end of life.
What we offer
We will listen to you about your concerns and what is important to you to provide the right support.
We will complete a comprehensive assessment to identify all your strengths and needs.
We will work with you to achieve your goals which may include providing therapy, offering advice, providing resources or identifying strategies.
We may offer training to training to staff teams or families and carers.
We work with other services to make sure your health needs are identified and managed.
Referrals
Referrals can be made to the speech and swallowing team via your GP or any heath or social care professional including senior care home staff. For professionals, the referral form can be found on Leeds Care Pathways.
Food Textures Information
Food Textures Information
International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) Food Texture Descriptions – Information for staff
7a – Regular: Easy to chew
- Foods should be soft and tender
- Food can be cut or separated easily with the side of a fork or spoon.
- Foods do not need to be cut or presented in any specific particle size.
6 – Soft and Bite sized
- Soft enough to be mashed with a fork
- A knife is not required to cut the food
- Food is served in no larger than 1.5cm x 1.5cm pieces
- Soft, tender and moist throughout
5 – Minced and Moist
- Can be eaten with a fork or spoon
- Can be scooped and shaped on a plate
- Soft and moist with no separate thin liquid
- Small lumps (less than 4mm) visible within food
- Lumps are soft and easy to squash
4 – Pureed
- Usually eaten with a spoon
- Can be piped, layered or molded
- Cannot be poured
- Smooth with no lumps
- Not sticky
3 – Liquidised
- Smooth texture with no lumps or bits
- Can be poured
- Too thin to be piped or layered
- Cannot be eaten with a fork
- Can be drunk from a cup
General Dysphagia
General Dysphagia
What is Dysphagia?
Dysphagia is a disorder of swallowing. People with dysphagia may have difficulty holding food or fluid in their mouth, chewing, moving food to the back of the mouth, swallowing at the right time, protecting the airway when swallowing, clearing food from their throat or getting food or fluid to pass down in to the food pipe.
Why does it happen?
Dysphagia can happen if there is damage to the muscles used for swallowing, or if a person becomes less aware of what is in their mouth. Dysphagia can be caused by stroke, head injury or other neurological conditions – including Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Motor Neurone Disease. It can be caused by some respiratory conditions.
Why is dysphagia a problem?
People with dysphagia are at higher risk of food or fluid going down the wrong way (i.e. going into the lungs instead of the stomach). This is known as aspiration. Aspiration can cause chest infections and pneumonia. Swallowing difficulties can lead to malnutrition and dehydration if they are not managed properly.
Will it improve?
Improvement and recovery will vary from person to person and can be difficult to predict. Your speech and language therapist will be able to discuss this with you in more detail.
Symptoms of dysphagia
- Coughing or choking on food or drink
- Wet / gurgly voice after swallowing
- Shortness of breath after swallowing
- A feeling of food sticking in the throat
- Difficulty chewing food
- Food or drink residue left in the mouth
- Loss of appetite or reluctance to eat certain things
- Serious weight loss
- Repeated chest infections
What can help with swallowing?
- Sitting as upright as possible when eating and drinking (not leaning forward, back or to one side) – ideally in a chair.
- Avoid tipping your head back to swallow.
- Take small mouthfuls of food or drink.
- Eat and drink slowly and leave plenty of time between mouthfuls.
- Chew food thoroughly and carefully.
- Don’t eat or drink if you’re feeling too tired or unwell – wait until later.
- Try not to mix mouthfuls of food and drink together.
- Don’t talk whilst eating or drinking.
- Avoid distractions e.g. TV / radio if this stops you following the advice above.
- Don’t use spouts or straws, unless they’ve been specifically recommended.
- If you have dentures, make sure they fit properly. If not, try a fixative- and wear them, if comfortable, to help with chewing.
- Try to stay sitting upright for at least 15 minutes after eating or drinking.
Who can help?
Speech and language therapists are trained to assess swallowing. Your speech and language therapist can recommend food and drinks that are safe to swallow. It may be beneficial to have a modified diet or thickened fluids. If your swallowing is unsafe, it may be necessary to remain nil by mouth (NBM). Your doctor may recommend that you have a temporary nasogastric feeding tube (NG tube). Other members of the team can also help:
- Dieticians may help to ensure nutrition and hydration is adequate.
- Physiotherapists may help with sitting position.
- Occupational therapists may suggest ways to help you eat and drink.
- Nurses may assist with eating and drinking and with keeping the mouth and teeth clean and healthy, particularly if you are NBM.
- Pharmacists may suggest medicines are given in a different form e.g. syrups rather than tablets.
