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Dysphagia Awareness Month IDDSI Q&A Series, Part 4: Supporting Your Staff Through Implementation

Dysphagia Awareness Month (June) may be coming to a close, but as a foodservice professional, you know that keeping your patients and residents with swallowing difficulties safe and nourished is a year-round effort.

If you’re just joining us on our series, you can click through below to enjoy parts 1, 2, and 3, where we’ve answered IDDSI framework questions from real industry professionals just like you:

DDSI Exploration Series, Part 1
Dysphagia Awareness Month IDDSI Q&A Series, Part 1: What Are the IDDSI Diet Levels and is IDDSI Mandatory?

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DDSI Exploration Series, Part 2
Dysphagia Awareness Month IDDSI Q&A Series, Part 2: Helping Residents Accept Diet Changes

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DDSI Exploration Series, Part 3
Dysphagia Awareness Month IDDSI Q&A Series, Part 3: Enhancing Pleasurable Dining on a Pureed Diet

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Here in part four, we’ll explore ways you can help support your team through your implementation journey, so they can champion safety for your patients and residents with Dysphagia.

Read on to discover the tips and insights from our team of registered dietitians:

Q1: I think it’s great. Sometimes it’s confusing for some of the staff. Why so many different diets? – Vickie Plume, Certified Dietary Manager

Q2: Is there a kitchen staff friendly IDDSI chart that is being used to post in info production areas? I think this information needs to be discussed often to keep us aware at all time. – Eric Sanchez, Executive Chef at Sun City Gardens

A: There’s no doubt that change can be challenging for staff and adopting new IDDSI terminology and standards can be confusing. It is important that not only foodservice staff are informed of IDDSI, but all staff providing care to patients and residents are also aware of IDDSI.

The IDDSI framework is designed for all levels of texture modified foods and thickened liquids for individuals of all ages and across all care settings. Adopting IDDSI does not mean that facilities need to adopt all levels of diets and liquids. Different care settings can choose to support some or all of the different IDDSI diets, depending on the needs of their population.

For facilities that have not yet transitioned to IDDSI, it is recommended to plan ahead and form a multidisciplinary IDDSI team to lead a successful implementation across all departments and caregivers. The IDDSI website provides helpful implementation guides that can be customized to fit your needs, which can be found here: IDDSI - Implementation Guides

For facilities that are in the process of adopting or have already adopted IDDSI, continuing education and monitoring of IDDSI standards is important for the safety of your residents. The IDDSI website provides helpful resources in multiple languages, including posters, testing reference cards, and resident handouts; which can be found here: IDDSI - Resources

Answers provided by:

Noel Slaughter
Noel Slaughter, RD,
Nutrition Sevices Specialist at MealSuite
Dianne Coronel
Dianne Coronel, RD,
Nutrition Services Specialist at MealSuite

More IDDSI Content You May Like:

DDSI Exploration Series, Part 1
IDDSI Exploration Series, Part 1: Where Are We Now?

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DDSI Exploration Series, Part 2
IDDSI Exploration Series, Part 2: A Dive into Updated Food Lists & Level 7 Easy to Chew (EC7)

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DDSI Exploration Series, Part 3
IDDSI Exploration Series, Part 3: IDDSI Food Testing In 3 Simple Steps

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DDSI Exploration Series, Part 4
IDDSI Exploration Series, Part 4: Implementation & “Going Live”

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Industry Leader Spotlight:Margaret Roche
Industry Leader Spotlight: 4 Ways to Succeed with IDDSI with Nutrition Expert & Dietetic Consultant Margaret Roche

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