Swallowing difficulties are more common than we often realise, and caring for someone with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) can feel overwhelming. Simple daily meals may become stressful or risky. This course explains how swallowing works, why problems occur, and how to recognise danger signs early, keeping instructions clear and easy to follow.

You’ll gain in-depth guidance on creating safer mealtime environments, including the best techniques for positioning, pacing, and providing support to reduce choking and aspiration risks. The course covers practical strategies for modifying food textures and fluids using IDDSI standards, and explains how to maintain proper hydration and nutrition. You’ll learn how to monitor intake, plan balanced meals, and adapt mealtimes to each individual’s needs, ensuring they remain nourished, comfortable, and confident at every meal.

Caring for someone with dysphagia also requires empathy, patience, and teamwork. This course helps you develop skills to communicate clearly, reduce anxiety, and support emotional wellbeing during meals. It shows how to collaborate effectively with healthcare professionals, family, and care teams. By the end, you’ll have practical tools, calm understanding, and the confidence to provide safe, compassionate, and supportive care, improving both quality of life and daily mealtime experiences.

This course content was created in partnership with Dr. Nebart Nyaga, whose qualifications include Registrar in Surgery and Endoscopist.

The authors generated this text in part with Chat GPT, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. Upon generating draft language, the authors and subject matter experts reviewed, edited, and revised the text to ensure it reflected accurate expertise and met high pedagogical standards.

Enrol today to gain the knowledge and skills that will make a real difference in the life of the person you care for and in your own confidence as a caregiver.