Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Dysphagia: An insidious barrier to healthy ageing

6^th Global Summit and Expo on Food & Beverages

August 03-05, 2015 Orlando-FL, USA

Julie A Y Cichero

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Food Process Technol

Abstract:

By the year 2030, the world?s elderly population will be roughly double what it is today. Better medical care, improved medication and public health promotion has improved life expectancy. Individuals are surviving stroke and many are living to an age where dementia becomes more of a certainty. Swallowing difficulty (dysphagia) has a prevalence of 13% in community dwelling elders, rising to 60% or more of aged care residents. In comparison, diabetes has an average prevalence of 8%, yet there are many more public awareness campaigns for diabetes than swallowing disorders. For individuals with swallowing disorders, unplanned weight loss is common. Dehydration, protein energy malnutrition, respiratory complications, and pneumonia are frequent but rarely acted upon until they escalate to hospitalization. Thickened liquids and texture-modified meals are a cornerstone of dysphagia management. Drinks are thickened to slow flow and reduce the likelihood of material entering the lungs (aspiration). Foods may be pureed, chopped, mashed, minced or made softto reduce the likelihood of choking. The texture modification process depletes the nutrient density of these diets, inadvertently increasing potential for malnutrition. Annual hospital costs associated with the complications of dysphagia have variously been reported between �48.2 M to $USD 547 M per annum or CAD $10 K- CAD $93 K per patient, depending on co-morbidities. Many elderly people believe that dysphagia is just a normal part of the ageing process or that nothing can be done to assist them. Methods to improve foods and drinks offered in order to increase nutrition and hydration outcomes for people with dysphagia will be discussed.