Serving up dignity at dinner to those with dysphagia
An innovative chef is making mealtimes enjoyable again for those with swallowing difficulties
IT’S something that affects around 5% of the population but has higher rates in the elderly. Dysphagia is the umbrella term for difficulty with swallowing and is included in the World Health Organisation’s classification of diseases.
It can be caused by a range of issues from cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease to dementia.
And of course, it makes eating an issue as those with the condition are unable to swallow solid foods in the way they used to, meaning meals must be liquidised and are often served up in a way that is similar to baby food.
But a pioneering Irish chef is determined to give those with dysphagia back their dignity at mealtimes.
That person is Andrew Dunne, an executive chef at the Bartra Healthcare group nursing homes which operates state-of-the-art, premium quality nursing homes with 500 beds in three locations. He is also a dysphagia chef consultant
‘What was being offered was embarrassing’
who has studied Holistic Nutrition and Wellbeing and is very passionate about food in aged care.
Andrew is spearheading the movement to bring dignity back to the dining room in care homes and nursing homes to ensure modified meals for those with dysphagia are both appetising and nutritious.
‘I am 20 years in cooking as a professional and previously worked in the hotel industry,’ Andrew says.
‘Around ten years ago I went into working in care homes and I saw what was being offered. It was embarrassing to be honest with you and I knew there was something more we could do.’
Andrew says meals are a social activity for so many and unappetising bowls of blended food have an impact on the emotional and physical health.
‘I started to look at people with dysphagia who were embarrassed about what they were eating and so chose to eat alone and that was having a negative effect on their health.
‘We wanted to make meals look presentable again so I started an online campaign a number of years ago which has grown and it is a fantastic movement now on LinkedIn with more than 2,000 connections. We are all learning from each other, and we are showing each other different ways in which we can make the food more attractive.’
Andrew and the team at Bartra ensure that everyone in the homes have the same choices so that if steak is on the menu, the person with dysphagia will get steak blended but it will be presented so that it looks like a steak.
‘We pipe the food fresh and we try and make the carrot look like a carrot, a pea look like a pea. It’s just something so simple to make a meal look a bit more appetising.
‘We use fresh food daily and everything on the menu is the same so it offers dignity and equality to the people with dysphagia.’
And Andrew says the secret ingredients are ‘empathy and imagination. If you have both of those you will go a long way.’
Due to his groundbreaking techniques, Andrew has spoken all over Ireland and Britain about his approach.
‘There is a lot of ignorance around the condition,’ he says. ‘ We want to offer education around dysphagia and show people how they can make meals more attractive and while also having the nutritional properties they need.’