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Swedish National Radio: Many elderly people have difficulty swallowing

Many elderly people have difficulty swallowing. An independent study shows that swallowing ability can easily be improved.

People with swallowing difficulties – dysphagia – are not only at risk of pneumonia and under-nourishment, but also endure a social handicap. Having food stick in the throat, coughing and choking is seen by most as embarrassing in a social setting.

Nearly two-thirds of the 391 elderly people in short-term residental care who participated in the speech therapist Patricia Hägglund’s doctoral thesis at Umeå University suffered from swallowing difficulties.

Her independent study shows that swallowing ability can easily be improved with the neuromuscular training device IQoro® which is used to treat several conditions including eating- and swallowing difficulties.

The study shows that those treated with IQoro achieved a significantly better swallowing function compared with those in a control group.

Sveriges Radio (Sweden Radio) made a nationwide report today on the study conducted by Patricia Hägglund at Umeå University in their programme ‘Vetenskapsradion’ (Science Radio).

Listen and read the report on-line here (Swedish language)