Introduction:

Dysphagia presents itself when there is difficulty in the preparation or management of food or liquids, with or without difficulty safely initiating swallowing or propulsion of the bolus through the pharynx. Its main complications are malnutrition, dehydration and pneumonia. 80% of European citizens are not diagnosed nor receive any treatment.

Objectives:

Understand the characteristics of patients affected with dysphagia in a functional recovery unit, and evaluate the training given to such patients and their care providers.

Methodology:

Descriptive cross-sectional study showing patients with suspected dysphagia, attended between the period February 1st, 2019 and January 31st, 2020. The evaluation was carried out through a previous review of the patient’s medical records, interviews, detailed tests and execution of the MECV-V. Once all information was gathered, adequate dietary, oral, postural and training care were carried out.

Results:

Of the 101 patients assessed, 87.1% had oropharyngeal dysphagia. 46.59%of those were diagnosed with mild dysphagia, whilst 39.77% were moderate and 13.64% severe. 80.6% were treated by the center’s speech therapist. The training given for care providers was completed in 94.3% of cases. It was re-evaluated for 13.6%, all showing improvement.

Conclusions:

The frequent presence of dysphagia in elderly patients makes it necessary to implement programs for their evaluation and treatment, which would improve the quality of care and prevent significant complications afterwards.

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