Swallowing Difficulties, Oral Symptoms, and Nutrition in Long-Term Care Elderly Residents – A Secondary Publication

Abstract

Oral health is often impaired in people living in residential care. In older people, poor oral health is associated with functional deficits, multiple sclerosis, and memory disorders. Keeping one’s teeth healthy throughout life would promote both oral health and general health. Biting and swallowing problems in older people are also linked to oral health, limiting eating activities and requiring diet changes to softer foods that are easy to chew and swallow. This may limit dietary diversity and adequate nutrient intake. Although eating-related chewing and swallowing problems are common in institutionalized residents, they are often addressed too late, when the resident is already malnourished. Nutrition in nursing and retirement homes has been the subject of various studies since the 2000s. However, studies on swallowing and chewing difficulties are scarce and their link to adequate nutrient intake has received lesser attention [6,7].