Safety Tips
- During a meal, check to see if the person pockets or collects food in the side or back of the mouth. Some people with nerve changes cannot feel food remaining in the mouth. Pocketed food can be aspirated.
- Never rush a person to eat. Be sure to take time in what you do. If the person tries to rush, he or she will try to eat faster than they can swallow or take too large a bite of food.
- Know how to perform the Heimlich maneuver if a person begins to choke on food.
- Swallowing pills can often be difficult for the person with dysphagia. Many pills can be crushed and mixed with applesauce or pudding to make swallowing easier. However, always check with the pharmacist before crushing medicines. Some medicines, such as time released, enteric coated, capsules and sublingual medicines cannot be crushed because this affects the way the drugs work in the body.
