Dysphagia Tips: Using Beverage Thickeners for Swallowing Disorders

These dysphagia tips will help someone you love adapt to beverage thickeners.

Unless you have dysphagia, a swallowing disorder, it is likely you have not given much serious thought to the various textures and consistencies of the liquids in your daily diet. When you are feeling thirsty, nothing hits the spot like an ice-cold glass of water. On a hot summer day, you may crave a cool milkshake. And when you are recuperating from the flu, a warm bowl of soup really hits the spot.

With a swallowing disorder, however, liquids need to be thickened, making it much harder to feel as though your thirst is quenched, and changing your ability to enjoy things like that first hot cup of coffee in the morning, or a glass of your favorite soda at lunchtime. Adjusting to thickened liquids does take time, but these beverage-thickening dysphagia tips can help.

What Are the Top Beverage Thickeners?

It depends upon the person’s individual preference, and may take some experimenting to see which works best. The doctor will advise on the degree of thickness needed, which can vary from thin, to nectar- or honey-like, to spoon-thick. The types of thickeners available include:

• Starch powders, made of modified cornstarch, which need to be served just after mixing in order to avoid lumpiness or a gritty texture or taste.
• Gel or liquid thickeners that blend easily without clumping, even into beverages which can be more difficult to thicken, such as hot foods, soda, or supplement beverages.
• Gum-based powders, which are fairly new and are often a preferred option over starch powders, because they maintain their viscosity over time, and work without adding flavor, grit, or cloudiness to the liquid.
• Pre-thickened products, which are becoming more widely available, either in nectar or honey consistencies.

It is necessary to ensure someone with a swallowing disorder remains hydrated. Certain fluids may be more palatable, especially as the person is adapting to thickened liquids. Try fruit juice, which will be similar in texture to a smoothie or fruit puree. You can even freeze thickened juice, or any other thickened beverage, into an ice pop.

It is also helpful to be aware that beverage thickeners may be covered by Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance providers. Although these products are available over the counter, ask the doctor to write a prescription and include the requirement for a beverage thickener in the person’s chart notes to see if the cost is reimbursable.

Our caregivers have additional dysphagia tips, and can also help prepare thickened beverages and provide encouragement to make certain someone with a swallowing disorder stays hydrated and healthy. Give us a call at (866) 940-4343 to request a complimentary in-home consultation to get started, or to learn more about our home care services in Novato, San Rafael, Petaluma, and throughout the Bay Area.