Wellness

[coffee drinker]

@Mindy D   Thank you is not enough for ALL the info you gave me.  I definitely will check out that You Tube person.  Seems like You Tube is so valuable for topics like this.  

Again, thank you so much.

[Q-Checker]

• @coffee drinker. I understand your concerns and am glad that you are seeking information. As others have said, consult the speech therapist. There is no "one size fits all" solution to dysphagia and some of the well -intentioned" recommendations, e,g, milk-based foods may actually be contraindicated in your husband's case. You may want to consult further with the speech therapist and, in the  course of this contact, inquire about some of the suggestions made in this forum, I strongly  recommend this and hope that you get all of the information you need.

[conlt]

We went through this with my mother. She had to be on pureed diet. We used the thickener called "Simply Thick". It was the best thickener out there. Expensive but worth it. The person can get constipation from thickener. 

Another good thing to buy is "magic Cups". They are like an ice cream but they melt into a thickened food rather then a liquid. 

We pureed just about everything. Mom did not seem to mind the diet. 

I don't know what insurance your husband has but if he is on Medicare or even another insurance, he should be eligible for a home health care Speech Therapist. He will need that and probably the other therapies, Physical and Occupational. The Speech Therapist can help you with the diet. 

Both Simply Thick and Magic Cups I purchased directly from their websites. They were lifesavers for mom. My mom loved her ice cream and the Magic Cups satisfied her. The Magic Cups also are high in nutrition and calories. Good luck. 

[Snoopp]

Magic cups are very good, as the poster above said.  Also, any thickener...Thick It is good too.  Ask the speech therapist to tell you what stage mechanical soft diet he has.  They can tell you and you make the foods  and adjust the drinks that correspond to that diet.  I used a vitamix and food processor to puree some foods.  

I think this was mentioned earlier, but Hormel and Nestle have pureed food products that are pretty good.  The prepared meals aren't bad and you can buy them online.  

Milkshakes and smoothies can be made to the right consistency too...just check with the speech therapist.  I can't remember the number of each mechanical diet; I believe the products you can buy, for example, the drinks, are thickened to the exact stage you are in.  For example, one is nectar thickness.

Hope this helps.

[Q-Checker]

@coffee drinker, I noticed that you did not respond to my previous reply about your concerns about your husband's diet since he was diagnosed with dysphagia. I hope that you did read my reply. I applaud you for seeking information, but there are no one size fits all solutions. I have a graduate degree in speech pathology and took a graduate level course in dysphagia, so I do know something about this disorder. Please rely only on professional advice, not on the well-intentioned notions and hot tips of untrained strangers. The swallowing mechanisms of their loved ones may be completely different from those of your husband. I hope that he had a barium swallow study as the basis for any recommendations. I wish you well in your quest to provide good care for your husband.

[ninjawife]

I am also a speech language pathologist and have experience with dysphagia.  The diets that some people are referring to are outdated.  In 2019 the international Dysphagia Diet Standarization Initative was created to use the same termology throughout the world when referring to the different diet levels.   I provided a link that describes the different diets for solids and liquids and what to do to test that the food you are preparing meets the standards for the diets your husband has been prescribed.  Like the other speech language pathologist noted get specific diet information from your husband's speech pathologist so you know exactly what and how to prepare safe foods. 

https://iddsi.org/IDDSI/media/images/Complete_IDDSI_Framework_Final_31July2019.pdf

[Q-Checker]

Thank you for posting that link. I am sure that it will be helpful to many people. I "retired" my SLP license, along with my "C's," some time ago although I remain an ASHA member ship (Retired status) and scan some of the literature. I wish that ASHA was more pro-active in public education and less involved in some of what I consider to be   "fringe issues." For the non-SLP's (Speech-Language Pathologists) reading this, ASHA is The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the national association and credentialing  body for speech pathologists and audiologists. 

[coffee drinker]

@Q-Checker @ninjawife Yes, I did read both of your posts and thank you both very much.  @ninjawife, I will check that post you mentioned.  It's been very busy here since DH was discharged to home hospice care.  I've tried different "recipes" and they don't seem to his liking.  Finally, this morning he was able to eat 1/2 soft boiled pureed egg and a bit of coffee.  I try supplementing with Boost which he seems to take.  It just so upsetting he just has no interest in food.  I cook and most of it gets thrown out.  

ETA --yes, he did have 2 barrium tests while in hospital.

[ninjawife]

@coffee drinker I am sorry that you are having a hard time finding things that are appetizing for him.  Is there anything he ate in the hospital that you could replicate?   Ask your speech pathologist if he is allowed scrambled eggs as most patients on a pureed diet are. It is not unusual for patients who have to go on modified diets to reject choices they are given.  I know it is upsetting and I wish you the best. 

[Squirrels Are Trash]

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@On It wrote:

My mother lived with swallowing difficulties for at least 10 years. She ordered soft foods in restaurants like baked or mashed potatoes, soups, etc. At home she drank Ensure once a day midafternoon. We bought a blender and tried to get her to purée her foods, but she would not let us do that. When planning meals, prepare what you both enjoy. Purée his and hopefully he will enjoy the home cooked taste. Keep soups and jars of puréed food on hand in case you need them.

It seems a blender or Vitamix would be a wonderful tool in your kitchen. Some tips my mother learned was a Coca Cola drink in the restaurant made her food go down more easily. She avoided "sticky" foods like pasta that can harden on the way down the esophagus. Try to think of foods he enjoys like yogurt, ice cream, sherbet, milkshakes, etc. Good luck to both of you.

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After a mild stroke, I had difficulties swallowing for a few months but not enough to be diagnosed as Dysphagia. The Coke tip is a good one.