When someone you love develops swallowing difficulties after an illness, taking care of dysphagia at home can feel overwhelming. You’re suddenly thrust into a world of modified textures, safety concerns, and completely new ways of approaching mealtime.
The good news is that home dysphagia care doesn’t have to drain your energy or leave you feeling helpless. With the right knowledge and approach, you can create a safe, comfortable environment that supports recovery while maintaining dignity and enjoyment around food.
6 Tips to Take Care of Someone with Dysphagia Without Draining Too Much
Taking care of someone with dysphagia at home doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your own wellbeing or feel constantly overwhelmed. These practical strategies will help you provide excellent care while maintaining your energy and sanity.
1. Learn Deeper About Dysphagia and Its Daily Supplies
Understanding dysphagia means recognizing that people with swallowing difficulties have unique nutritional and safety needs that require thoughtful preparation and specialized supplies. This means creating a safe eating environment where your loved one can enjoy mealtimes without worry while getting proper nutrition.
Some efforts you can do are stocking up on essential supplies like commercial thickeners, specialized cups with measurement marks, and foods that naturally provide appropriate textures. Keep a well-organized kitchen stocked with pureed fruits, smooth yogurts, and ingredients that can be easily modified to meet IDDSI levels required.
We have some guides that might help you (list will be updated!):
- Understanding what are IDDSI levels
- Dysphagia cup recommendations based on IDDSI levels
- How to do food/drink flow test at home using syringe
2. Master Proper Food and Drink Administration
Taking care of dysphagia at home requires mastering proper food and drink preparation through understanding IDDSI requirements, using thickeners correctly, and testing consistency. Your healthcare provider will prescribe specific IDDSI levels:
- Level 1 is slightly thick (like nectar)
- Level 2 is moderately thick (like honey)
- Levels 3-4 are liquidized food consistency
If you need thickeners, you can use natural (like cream or flour) or commercial food thickeners, which can easily be found online or at the drug store. To confirm the food/drink consistency, you can learn how to do a flow test at home, using tools as simple as needle free syringe.
For medications, you can crush pills and mix with level 4 consistency foods like pudding, or dissolve in thickened liquids if appropriate. Practice creating appealing combinations like smooth butternut squash soup, creamy fruit smoothies, or well-blended curry that meet both nutritional and consistency requirements.
3. Learn First Aid for Aspiration and Choking
When taking care of dysphagia at home, every caregiver should know how to respond when choking occurs. Learning to recognize the warning signs early can make all the difference.
Watch for these signs of silent aspiration and choking episodes:
- Coughing during or after swallowing
- Wet vocal quality (voice sounds gurgly or hoarse)
- Repeated throat clearing
- Difficulty breathing or gasping
- Changes in eating pace (suddenly eating much slower)
Once you know what to look for, prepare for emergencies by keeping emergency numbers readily available and learning when to call for help. Practice the Heimlich maneuver and understand positioning techniques that can help clear airways safely, these skills are essential parts of confident home care.
4. Guide Therapeutic Swallowing Exercises
Work with your healthcare team to learn appropriate exercises that can help strengthen swallowing muscles:
- Tongue strengthening exercises: Press tongue against roof of mouth for 5-10 seconds
- Lip exercises: Pucker lips and hold, then smile widely
- Throat clearing techniques: Gentle throat clearing before and after swallowing
- Head positioning: Learn optimal head and neck positions for safer swallowing
- Breathing coordination: Practice coordinating swallowing with breathing patterns
5. Maintain Family Quality Time
Don’t let dysphagia isolate your loved one from family meals. Taking sips of liquid between bites helps wash food down and keeps the throat clear, which is really helpful if food tends to stick or if someone has a dry mouth. Adapt family meals so everyone can eat together, serve the same base ingredients but modify textures as needed. Create pleasant dining experiences with good lighting, minimal distractions, and conversation that doesn’t pressure the person to rush their eating.
6. Prioritize Your Mental Health
A research from International Journal of Nursing Studies (2022) has shown that the rate of caregiver burden can be especially high in those caring for someone challenged by dysphagia.
71% of caregivers of adults with dysphagia experience different levels of burden, with spousal caregivers of stroke survivors and children caring for their parents being especially at risk. This isn’t surprising since taking care of dysphagia at home is a demanding work that requires constant attention.
Because of this high burden rate, it’s crucial to seek support from online communities, respite care services, or counseling when needed. Remember that caring for your own wellbeing directly impacts your ability to provide quality care. When you’re refreshed and supported, you can be a better caregiver for your loved ones.
Don’t worry, you’ve got this! Taking care of your loved one with dysphagia at home gets easier as you build routines and find your rhythm. Connect with online communities where other families share tips and support each other through similar experiences. Make modified cooking part of your regular routine rather than a daily struggle, and focus on keeping mealtimes feeling as normal as possible, even when the textures have changed. The love and care you put into each meal matters more than perfect consistency every time.
For more practical tips, resources, and community support that make dysphagia care feel manageable, stay tuned for updates from DysphagiaLiving.com, we’re here with you in this journey!
References
- Cichero, J. A., Lam, P., Steele, C. M., Hanson, B., Chen, J., Dantas, R. O., … & Stanschus, S. (2017). Development of international terminology and definitions for texture-modified foods and thickened fluids used in dysphagia management: The IDDSI framework. Dysphagia, 32(2), 293-314. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00455-016-9758-y
- Gomes, C. A., Andriolo, R. B., Bennett, C., Lustosa, S. A., Matos, D., Waisberg, D. R., & Waisberg, J. (2015). Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy versus nasogastric tube feeding for adults with swallowing disturbances. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (5). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25997528/
- Griffin, K., et al. (2024). Supporting safe swallowing of care home residents with dysphagia: How does the care delivered compare with guidance from speech and language therapists? International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1460-6984.13015
- Leonard, R. J., Ayala, G., Sánchez, E., Alcala, J., & García, J. (2021). Thickened liquids using pureed foods for children with dysphagia: IDDSI and rheology measurements. Dysphagia, 36(5), 851-862. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33954811/
- Rangira, G. D., McKinstry, C. A., Francis-Coad, J., Mulhern, B., Mnatzaganian, G., & Ratcliffe, J. (2022). The perceptions and experiences of caregivers of patients with dysphagia: A qualitative meta‐synthesis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 136, 104357. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11366769/
