Safe and enjoyable mealtime resources available
What you need to know
- Free resources relating to mealtime safety, enjoyable meals, and oral health have been released
- Providers can access nutrition planning guidance and recipes for various texture levels
- Comprehensive free resources for speech pathologist co-led training are available on request
Mealtimes can be a significant time of risk for some people with swallowing difficulties. Having the skills and knowledge to prevent choking incidents is critical for support staff.
Service providers must now meet the Mealtime Management Practice Standard (26A). This new standard is to ensure NDIS participants who require support at mealtimes and to manage severe dysphagia have access to nutritious meals of a texture that meets their needs and preferences.
It will also help disability providers meet the Practice Standards for Mealtimes Management and for Severe Dysphagia Management.
The Co-Creating Safe and Enjoyable Meals for People with Swallowing Difficulty project, led by the University of Technology Sydney, has released new resources at Enjoy Safe Meals – Co-creating Safe & Enjoyable Meals for People with Dysphagia.
Mealtime safety resources include ready reference information about signs and symptoms of swallowing difficulty, responding to choking, documentation, making referrals and how to ensure oral hygiene.
A variety of meals with attractive visuals and recipe cards on how to prepare each one at a range of texture levels is available at On the plate. Videos complement the recipe cards and visitors to the site are invited to send in their own recipes.
Enjoy Safe Meals currently offers free films and Learner Workbook and Trainer Guide, for speech pathologist co-led training in this specialist area. After the pilot program in a number of NSW and Victorian services, the resources are now available on request.
A second training program is under development with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. This will be a short, free e-learning module on Supporting safe and enjoyable meals.
