Nutrition, hydration, and dysphagia in long-term care: Differing opinions on the effects of aspiration.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the management of aspiration in skilled nursing settings, by determining speech-language pathologists' and nursing staff members' agreement about aspiration, interventions, and impact on residents' nutrition and hydration status, as determined by agreement scores on a questionnaire.


METHODS
Cross sectional descriptive.


METHODS
Health care; skilled nursing facility.


METHODS
Seventy-eight speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and 83 nursing caregivers.


METHODS
Participants completed a survey questionnaire requesting a level of agreement with statements about aspiration and interventions for aspiration. Questionnaires also included demographic questions for analysis purposes.


METHODS
Agreement scores on a modified Likert scale.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in agreement scores for SLPs by formal training or years of experience. Nurses showed differences by experience for 2 statements, and by level of certification for 3 statements. There were significant differences between responses for nurses and SLPs for 7 of the 10 items. Both groups demonstrated content knowledge that conflicts with principles documented in the medical literature.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that both SLP and nursing training programs should include more evidence from multidisciplinary sources, specifically the medical literature, to improve the knowledge base of clinicians providing care to residents with swallowing disorders.
Smith
Pamela A
PA
Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA 17815, USA. psmith@bloomu.edu
D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D032921:Consensus; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D003681:Dehydration / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000379:methods; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009728:Nursing Assistants / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010414:Pennsylvania; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires