DYSPHAGIA BLOG
NDIS and assistive technology
Part of your NDIS plan may include a budget for Assistive Technology (AT). Although ‘technology’ is in the name, an AT item does not necessarily need to be a high-tech item. AT is any piece of equipment that lets you perform a task you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do, or makes it easier and safer for you to perform a task. The Simply Modified cookbook can fall under the AT umbrella, if it is linked to the goals within your plan. So, think creatively about what your NDIS goals are, and how ‘technology’ can help you achieve them. NDIS goals can be as broad or as specific as you like, as long as they are related to your needs…
Celebrate with gnocchi!
Find yourself seated at the dinner table, surrounded by loved ones enjoying the same meal. Does this picture seem all to unimaginable? I challenge you to try. Allow yourself the pleasure of inclusion while enjoying fresh, nutrient-rich foods with your loved ones. Like pumpkin gnocchi… A dish that is both flavoursome and pillowy soft. Then paired with a white bean and thyme dip, it is a simple combination of flavours that mustn’t be overlooked…
Modified cutlery and utensils
Here you will find a summary of my go to mealtime tools. As always, if you or your loved one experiences dysphagia I recommend consulting your local Speech Pathologist first. And with all things cutlery and home technologies, Occupational Therapists make a handy friend too…
Soup to warm the soul
A wonderful way to increase your nutrient content, soups can also be gentle on your digestive system, quite literally warming your soul from the inside out. A simple bowl of soup is host to rich tastes with a cheerful vibrancy that cannot be overlooked. Soups quite literally steal the show for dysphagia diets and are absolutely delicious to eat, drink or slurp…
The hero of a dysphagia kitchen…
Sauce. Yes, you read that right. Sauce. The perfect accompaniment to any meal. Not only do they help to soften foods, but they also help bind flavours to make them sing. A secret in every dysphagia kitchen is to have a range of sauces prepared in the fridge at any one time…
Leading the way for dysphagia cookbooks
Adjustment, standardisation, restriction, variation. Who would have thought these words would ever come close to the description of a meal, a bite of food or dinner preparation? But, for many living with dysphagia (dis-fay-juh; swallowing impairment), this is their reality. Meals require careful adjustment to ensure that each mouthful is swallowed safely….
What is dysphagia?
Dysphagia (dis-fay-juh) // noun
Swallowing disorder
Humans swallow an average of 500-700 times per day. For someone living with dysphagia, this battle can take a huge toll on one’s attitude towards mealtimes…