Topics in the Delivery of Swallowing Services - Dr. John Tracy and Athena Nofziger, RDN, LD, CHC

The presenters are a clinical dietitian and a speech-language pathologist. This course will include issues related to the clinical swallowing evaluation, a demonstration of a clinical swallowing evaluation, criteria for recommending an instrumental evaluation, the role of the speech pathologist in identifying and evaluating esophageal disorders, life saving and end of life issues related to swallowing, artificial means of nutrition and achieving oral intake and hydration in those with dementia, and integration of the swallowing program into a context of nutrition services in an acute care hospital setting. Discussion of the use of rigid vs. dynamic evaluation protocols in light of the cognitive functioning of the patient will be included.