Nutrition and Swallowing Difficulties in Palliative Care for Registered Health Care Professionals

This half day course is designed to improve knowledge and skills around nutrition and swallowing difficulties for registered professionals working in palliative care across all settings.

Attendees will develop an evidence-based understanding of nutrition and swallowing (dysphagia) management in palliative care.

We will also explore some of the ethical issues relating to eating and drinking in palliative care.

Course delivery

This session will be delivered by Alex Haslam-Jones (Dietitian and joint AHP Lead) and Emma Paulett (Speech and Language Therapist and joint AHP Lead).

Alex is a Specialist Dietitian and joint allied health professional lead at Dorothy House. She has extensive experience in palliative and end of life care, service development, and clinical leadership. Alex leads a diverse team of Allied Health Professionals, supporting high quality, person centred care and driving service improvement. She is passionate about workforce development, multidisciplinary working, education, and using evidence-based practice to improve outcomes for patients and families.

Emma is a Specialist Speech & Language Therapist and joint Allied Health Professional lead at Dorothy House. She has a range of experience working with people with acquired swallowing and communication difficulties, specialising in palliative and end of life care and complex decision making around eating and drinking. In her role as joint AHP lead, Emma provides a supportive environment for staff, encouraging innovation, education and service development.

Who should attend?

Registered patient facing staff e.g. registered nurses and AHPs.

Course details

Attendees will develop an evidence-based understanding of nutrition and swallowing (dysphagia) management in palliative care. We will also explore some of the ethical issues relating to eating and drinking in palliative care.

The course content aligns with the General Medical Council’s (GMC) guidance around treatment and care towards the end of life as well as the National Palliative and End of Life Care Partnership ambitions for palliative and end of life care.

It also aligns with the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) guidance and the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists (RCSLT) position paper for supporting people with eating and drinking difficulties.

Course content

By using a mix of teaching methods the course aims for attendees:

To have an understanding of normal versus impaired swallowing
To have an understanding of the IDDSI framework for diet and fluids and to ensure food/drinks are the correct consistency
To be able to implement safe swallowing strategies
To have an understanding of common nutrition concerns in palliative care and be able to offer basic advice
To be able to recognise different types of nutritional supplements and understand their usage
To know when to seek further support with management of nutritional or swallowing needs
To have an awareness of the ethical considerations around eating and drinking in palliative care