One of the big differences that has come out of the new IDDSI standards in Australia is the removal of sandwiches from the menu. The previous texture A allowed for sandwiches without crusts or seeds provided they had a soft filling and were approved on a case by case basis. IDDSI has deemed bread to be high risk for all levels, apart from 7 Regular. It begs the question, what has changed? IDDSI’s new conservative approach stems from the mechanical…
Choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury death in the UK with more than half of choking deaths occurring in people over the age of 74. An average of six care home residents die from choking each month, making it the biggest cause of preventable death. One-third of care home residents are at risk Our risk of choking increases exponentially as we age due to the deterioration of teeth and muscles. Dysphagia is one of the most common…
Many of the textures currently available in SoupedUp have evolved from facilities looking to provide the best quality of life to residents, resulting in a number of textures that have no IDDSI equivalent. Editor’s Note: As of 1 February 2019, IDDSI announced an additional Level 7 subcategory: ‘Regular Easy to Chew’. So, this is clearly still an evolving space! Food textures The Cut Up texture was originally introduced for residents who could have regular texture, but needed food to be cut up due…
Today is world cancer day to bring greater attention, funding and treatment for those suffering from all forms of the disease. Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally after heart disease and many instances of cancer are preventable. Though cancer is a concern for people of all ages the risk of developing the disease increases significantly as we age. Contributing factors and carcinogens have had longer to accumulate within the body of elderly people and the ability for…
2019 has arrived and with it comes the approaching deadline for the conversion to IDDSI (the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative). IDDSI is an eight level consistency framework for both fluids and solid foods for the treatment of dysphagia, which will replace the current standards in Australia in May this year and April in the UK. As the aged care sector gears up for the coming change it’s worth reflecting on the condition of dysphagia itself and why the world…