Detection of dysphagia in the institutionalised elderly

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of dysphagia in a population of institutionalised elderly people, and the effectiveness of a clinical method for its detection. METHODOLOGY: A prospective study was conducted on a random sample of elderly residents. A clinical evaluation along with an assessment with different volumes and viscosities (MECVV) were used. Specific care and follow up was arranged following this assessment. RESULTS: Forty residents were studied. The prevalence of unrecognised dysphagia was 42.5%. Following assessment by the MECVV, the prevalence rose from 22.5% to 65% (P=.012). Dysphagia detected by MECVV was related to nutritional risk, as measured by the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) (P=.007), and to the diagnosis of dementia (P=.028). CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of dysphagia in this sample of institutionalised elderly people increases when applying a clinical method for detection, reaching a prevalence similar to other studies.