Health and hospitality team up to improve lives of Northern Ireland people with swallowing difficulties

Leah Bachelor, service user, Aidan Dawson, CEO Public Health Agency (PHA), Joel Neill, Operations Director Hospitality Ulster launching the new factsheet for people with dsyphagia, swallowing difficulties

Dysphagia is the medical term for eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties and it can affect people at any stage of their lives. It can often occur alongside a range of medical conditions, including, dementia, cancer, stroke, some mental health conditions, Parkinson’s disease and learning disabilities.

Dysphagia can impact people’s quality of life and their experience of socialising in restaurants, cafes and pubs. Going out to eat can be a stressful and challenging experience and for some people, potentially unsafe.

Aidan Dawson, chief executive at the PHA, said: “Many social occasions revolve around food and drink, such as going out for a coffee with friends or attending family events in restaurants. People who live with dysphagia are at higher risk of food or drink going into their airway. This can lead to excessive coughing and even choking. They often have to think about how they will be able to eat or drink at these events and venues, sometimes they will avoid them entirely.

“The hospitality sector can play a vital role in helping to improve the quality of life for people living with dysphagia, to provide a good quality experience for them and their families. We hope the factsheet will help to alleviate some of the anxiety for those who experience dysphagia who want to eat and drink outside their homes, helping to improve their quality of life and reduce the potential of social isolation and poorer health outcomes.”

The PHA and Hospitality Ulster have worked in partnership with people who live with dysphagia, the community and voluntary sector and Health and Social Care Trusts, to develop a user-friendly factsheet for the hospitality sector, with 10 top tips to help improve the experience of people living with dysphagia when they socialise.

The swallow aware factsheet for hospitality is available at www.pha.site/HospitalityFactsheet

The factsheet explains what dysphagia is and outlines the ways the hospitality sector can help those who have swallowing difficulties to a have a better and safer experience eating and drinking when out socialising.

Joel Neill Operations Director at Hospitality Ulster said: “We are delighted to be involved in the development of this important factsheet which provides useful advice for businesses in the hospitality sector to help support people with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.

“Our members value all customers and if we are able to support people with dysphagia and their families to have more choice in their social life and feel confident when visiting various hospitality outlets, then it’s a win all round for the businesses and their customers.”

Gemma McNally, whose son Caleb lives with a swallowing difficulty, welcomed the new initiative said: “Raising awareness of swallowing difficulties in the hospitality sector is invaluable. When we find somewhere to eat as a family that recognises our son's needs and helps to accommodate him, it means we have a much more relaxed and enjoyable meal. We are also more likely to return to that restaurant or café more often.”

Ruth Sedgewick, head of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) said: “This campaign will help to highlight the challenges and practical solutions which can improve someone’s hospitality experience. Importantly, it will also help to keep people safe when eating out and give them the confidence to enjoy social pleasures. We congratulate Hospitality Ulster for working with the PHA, Health and Social Care Trusts and community and voluntary partners in developing this important campaign.”

A wallet card has also been produced to support service users who experience dysphagia. The card has a QR code which links directly to the hospitality factsheet. When shown to hospitality staff they are able to quickly read through the ten top tips to support the customer.

For further information about dysphagia visit www.pha.site/Dysphagia