The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, UW-Madison Chapter (NSSLHA) is hosting a Dining for Dysphagia event on December 8, 2014. Please read the details below the event flyer.
Event Flyer
What is dysphagia?
Dysphagia (dis-fay-ja) the medical term for a swallowing disorder. Swallowing disorders:
- Affect all ages
- Are caused by a wide variety of underlying diseases, disorders, and conditions (including stroke, head and neck cancer, parkinson’s disease, ALS, etc.)
- Can be short-term or long-lasting
- Can make it difficult to getting adequate nutrition and hydration
- Can result in liquids entering the airway and lungs and risk of pneumonia
- May impact as much as 22% of the population over 50 years of age.
- Result in change to types and consistencies of foods and liquids
Why does it matter?
Our society revolves around food and meals. For people with dysphagia, life can be majorly changed when foods must be pureed and liquids must be honey thick, for example. Dysphagia can cause depression, low self esteem, lost wages, poor social performance, and increasing health risks such as aspiration pneumonia. For such an impactful and prevalent disorder, most people know very little about swallowing disorders. We seek to improve the lives of people with dysphagia by shedding light on swallowing disorders, taking a walk in the shoes of people with dysphagia, and raising money to support the non-profit National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.
For more information about dysphagia, check out the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders’ website at www.nfosd.com.
What can I do?
Attend the Dining for Dysphagia Awareness potluck event!
When: Monday, December 8th from 6:30-7:30pm
Where: Microbial Sciences Room 1520
The students in the UW-Madison Communication Sciences & Disorders department will be hosting a dysphagia-approved potluck. This will not be your typical meal! All foods will meet criteria that many people with dysphagia must eat every day to ensure a safe swallow. Bring a dish to share (sign up by emailing us!) or just come and taste test. Foods should all be modified to puree consistency or be diced into very small, moist pieces. Learn about swallowing disorders from people with swallowing disorders, and join in this unique experience! People with swallowing disorders, family members, students, faculty members, medical professionals, and the general community are all invited to be a part of this event!
Donate to the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders. Your help supports the Foundation’s mission to improve the quality of life for those suffering from all types of swallowing disorders and by shedding light and raising the awareness on the health issue of dysphagia. Click the DONATE button on the upper right hand corner of this webpage! We greatly appreciate your support!
Share on Facebook and challenge a friend. Help us spread awareness about swallowing disorders by sharing the link to this page with your friends on Facebook. Challenge your friends to eat a puree meal or donate, too! Be sure to #DiningForDysphagiaAwareness or #D4DA to help promote this wonderful event!
Thank you so much for your support!
If you have any questions about this event, please contact Maggie Yoder (margaret.yoder@wisc.edu) or Brittany Krekeler (brittany.krekeler@wisc.edu). We are happy to share our event information with anyone else interested in putting on their own Dining for Dysphagia Awareness event!
