Appleby House gets a taste for easier eating

Home news

May 27, 2016

Dysphagia – or difficulty swallowing – is often caused by another health condition, such as a stroke or dementia, and it can seriously impact the health and quality of life of people recovering from, or living with, these conditions. The problem can affect up to 85% of care home residents and can be a huge concern as it can cause sometimes fatal choking incidents.

Luckily there is an answer, and the team at Appleby House in Epsom recently hosted a successful talk and tasting session on dysphagia to showcase the help and support available. Relatives of Appleby House residents, as well as local carers and their loved ones, came along to the Epsom care home to hear Deborah Gray and Preston Walker from Dysphagia Matters share their expert knowledge and advice about the condition.

Food is normally liquidised for people with dysphagia, but Preston, a highly experienced care sector chef, showed how to prepare and serve food in a much more appealing way using a state-of-the-art Thermomix food processor.

Shona Bradbury, home manager at Appleby House, says, “It was a highly informative and fun evening. We’ve been working with the Dysphagia Matters team for a while now – their experiential training has had a hugely beneficial impact on our team, and therefore on our residents. With their help, and with the Thermomix, we’re now producing amazing food and enhancing the dining experience for residents who have swallowing difficulties.

“The session was a great opportunity to get to know many more stakeholders and local carers. Probably the best part of the evening for me was seeing the reaction of a local couple. The wife has dysphagia, and for the first time in years she was able to pick up and eat a sandwich. It was an overwhelming experience for this lovely couple and for those of us who saw what a difference this could make to their lives.”