Prevalence of dysphagia and adequacy of related care for elderly receiving residential care services in Hong Kong

Abstract

The current study was divided into two phases. Phase 1 of the study aimed to investigate the prevalence rate of dysphagia in the geriatric population receiving residential care services in Hong Kong, while phase 2 aimed to evaluate the adequacy of the current care services provided to these elderly to overcome dysphagia. In phase 1 of the study, 3609 residents from 30 government-subsidized residential homes were included. A prevalence rate of 62.2% was found in the current study by chart review, which was consistent with previous studies. In phase 2 of the study, 282 residents from 12 government-subsidized residential homes were included. The participants were required to complete assessments for cognitive, swallowing and oral-motor functions. Dysphagic participants as identified from clinical swallowing examination were also required to complete a self-developed questionnaire on swallowing-related service. The passing rate of the swallowing-related service questionnaire was 19.3%. The mean score was 6.18 ± 5.54 out of 24. Recommendations to increase public funding for speech therapy services and education about the speech therapy profession for the targeted population were made.