Dysphagia is a condition that impacts the lives of countless seniors today. Men and women with swallowing disorders are more likely to struggle with malnutrition and dehydration. They are at higher risk of aspiration pneumonia and death.

To help these men and women swallow, individuals must prepare soft, palatable, moist foods. The texture of these foods must be modified to make it easier for them to swallow, and many people turn to SimplyThick YouTube videos to learn more about how to improve the texture of foods and beverages.

Eating Out With Dysphagia

People are coming to realize the importance of socialization opportunities for seniors. As they age, men and women must get out and be around others for their mental health and cognitive function. Meals are a socialization opportunity, as eating and drinking are biological necessities and social experiences.

However, men and women with dysphagia may avoid eating out. They worry about embarrassing their loved ones if they have difficulty swallowing their food. They may choke or gag and cause a scene.

Altering food textures reduces the risk of choking or gagging when eating. The individual may also need to use compensatory swallowing strategies. Restaurant owners are realizing this and creating friendly dishes for dysphagia patients. Men and women with swallowing disorders can go out to eat at these restaurants, knowing they will have something they can enjoy while spending time with family and friends.

Eating Out Strategies

Men and women with dysphagia want increased mealtime accessibility at restaurants. They would like to be able to order blended foods or thickened liquids without embarrassment. They realize that they will need to set realistic goals and check the menu before visiting the restaurant to ensure there are foods available for them. While at the restaurant, they must also tell the waiter or waitress how to prepare their food and carry their thickener to ensure they enjoy the meal. However, they also want restaurants to make it easy for them to dine out.

Awareness

The first step restaurants can take to make their establishments dysphagia-friendly is to increase awareness of this disorder. They need to train their employees to help patrons with dysphagia and ensure no embarrassment when modifications need to be made to a meal or dish. This training should include sampling products that are dysphagia-friendly. Restaurant owners need to include their employees because they may be able to make suggestions on modifying foods and beverages to meet the needs of these patrons.

Restaurants that have provided this training have found employees are more than willing to make these accommodations. A restaurant may also want to include dysphagia-friendly items on its menu and highlight them so people can quickly find them. Many restaurants already do this for heart-healthy foods and gluten-free dishes, and they can easily do the same for dysphagia-friendly meals and dishes.

Every restaurant should consider including one or more dysphagia-friendly dishes. They may also wish to host an event so others in the community can learn about this condition and how it impacts individuals of every age. Doing so won’t make seniors feel as if they are being singled out and catered to. They will appreciate having their needs met because having dysphagia-friendly items on the menu will allow them to have more opportunities to socialize with others, which leads to an improved quality of life.