The nutritionists at Ste. Anne’s Hospital (SAH), in collaboration with occupational therapists from that facility, have been sharing their expertise on dysphagia in seniors for about 20 years now. On January 16, some 60 dietetics students from McGill University were at SAH to learn more about nutrition for seniors.
This 3.5-hour training activity on dysphagia for dietetics students from McGill University was divided into three interactive stations, each with its own theme. The themes were:
- Bedside assessment of people with dysphagia;
- Rheology (appropriate textures and consistencies, based on assessment results);
- Positioning and feeding techniques.
To get the most out of the activity, students took turns at each of the stations. They had the chance to learn about the difficulties some seniors have with swallowing, prescription diets, and the various food textures used to feed such seniors. They even got to taste the reconstituted purées! Through this training activity the participants were able to learn in a residential setting where seniors often have dysphagia-related issues.
This annual event is an excellent opportunity to highlight the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal’s teaching mission and the facility’s long-standing collaboration with McGill University.
Photo 1: Daniele Vani, a nutritionist at Ste. Anne’s Hospital, held the students’ interest.
Photo 2: Occupational therapist Willy Huynh (left) and nutritionist Jonathan Di Tomasso (right), shared a whole array of interesting techniques for feeding seniors who have difficulty swallowing.
Photo 3: Students paid close attention to the presentation by nutritionist Catherine Delorme.