Dysphagia Training in Aged Care: What Should Staff Learn?
Dysphagia training is an essential part of providing safe care in aged care settings. However, one of the most important questions is often overlooked:
Who is dysphagia training actually for?
When we think about mealtime safety, it’s not just one person involved. From the moment food is prepared to the moment it is eaten, multiple staff members play a role in supporting a resident with swallowing difficulties.
Effective dysphagia training needs to reflect this reality.
Who Is Involved in Mealtime Care?
To understand dysphagia training properly, it helps to step back and look at the full mealtime process.
A typical meal in aged care involves:
Catering / Kitchen Team
preparing meals to the correct texture
modifying food and fluids according to IDDSI levels
ensuring consistency in preparation
Staff Serving Meals
plating and delivering meals
ensuring the correct meal goes to the correct resident
identifying if something looks incorrect
Staff Checking Food and Drinks
confirming that textures meet the intended IDDSI level
identifying if food is too hard, too dry, or inconsistent
ensuring drinks are the correct thickness
Carers Supporting Mealtimes
assisting with feeding where required
supporting residents who are eating independently
monitoring for signs of swallowing difficulty
Supervision During Meals
observing safety during eating and drinking
responding to coughing or choking
ensuring appropriate pacing and support
Dysphagia training needs to include all of these roles, not just one group.
What Should Dysphagia Training Cover?
Each team member may have a different role, but they all need a shared understanding of dysphagia and mealtime safety.
Dysphagia training should include the following:
Understanding Dysphagia
Staff need to understand:
what dysphagia is
why it increases risk of choking and aspiration
how it affects different individuals
This builds the foundation for safe and consistent care.
Why Texture Modified Diets Are Needed
Dysphagia training should clearly explain:
why food textures are modified
how the wrong texture can increase risk
the importance of consistency
Understanding the IDDSI Framework
The IDDSI framework provides a standardised way to describe food and drink textures.
Dysphagia training should help staff understand:
different IDDSI levels
what each level means in practice
how to check textures using IDDSI testing methods
Safe Swallowing and Feeding Strategies
Staff supporting residents during meals need practical strategies, such as:
pacing and allowing time between mouthfuls
offering appropriate portion sizes
monitoring fatigue
responding to signs of difficulty
These strategies are a key part of dysphagia training and mealtime safety.
Why One-Off Dysphagia Training Is Not Enough
In many settings, dysphagia training is delivered once and not revisited.
However, this is often not sufficient.
Aged care services experience:
high staff turnover
varying levels of experience
changing resident needs
Ongoing dysphagia training helps ensure that:
new staff are supported
existing staff maintain confidence
practices remain consistent
This is also reflected at a broader level. Recent coronial findings have recommended the development of consistent minimum training expectations for both kitchen and nursing staff in residential aged care, particularly in relation to identifying and managing choking risk and aligning practice with the IDDSI framework.
The Role of Ongoing Monitoring and Clinical Support
Dysphagia training works best when it is supported by clinical input.
This includes:
regular review by a speech pathologist
clear documentation of dietary recommendations
accessible care plans for staff
Staff also play an important role in:
identifying changes in swallowing
documenting concerns
referring for further assessment when needed
Dysphagia training is about creating a shared understanding across the entire team involved in mealtimes.
From the kitchen to the dining table, every staff member plays a role in supporting mealtime safety.
When dysphagia training is practical, consistent, and supported by ongoing monitoring, it can help reduce risk and support safer, more confident care for people with swallowing difficulties.
About the Author
Vanessa Chan is a speech pathologist and chair of the Australian IDDSI Reference Group. She provides dysphagia education and IDDSI training to aged care and disability providers through Swallowing & Dysphagia Support.
