COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the course on Choking and Aspiration Prevention in Disability Support. This course is designed to provide essential knowledge and practical skills to support workers and healthcare professionals in preventing and managing choking and aspiration incidents among individuals with disabilities, ensuring their safety and wellbeing.

We begin with an introduction to choking and aspiration, defining these terms and highlighting their differences. Understanding the importance of prevention is crucial, as both choking and aspiration can have severe consequences for individuals with disabilities.

Next, we delve into the risk factors associated with choking and aspiration. This includes exploring medical conditions that increase risk, behavioural and environmental factors, and methods for identifying and assessing at-risk individuals.

A thorough understanding of the anatomy and physiology of swallowing is essential. We will examine the normal swallowing process, common dysphagia issues, and how disabilities can impact swallowing.

Recognising the signs and symptoms of choking and aspiration is vital for timely intervention. We will cover how to identify choking and aspiration, and immediate response techniques to manage these situations effectively.

Safe eating and drinking practices form a significant part of prevention. Proper positioning during meals, recommended eating techniques, and modifying food and liquid consistencies are essential strategies that we will discuss in detail.

Feeding assistance techniques are critical for support workers. This section covers hands-on feeding support, the use of adaptive equipment, and ensuring that dignity and respect are maintained during feeding.

Aspiration precautions involve guidelines for pre- and post-feeding, monitoring and managing saliva, and managing reflux and vomiting. These precautions are essential to reduce the risk of aspiration.

In emergencies, knowing the correct response procedures can save lives. We will cover performing the Heimlich manoeuvre, basic life support techniques, and creating effective emergency action plans.

Individualised support plans tailored to each person’s needs are crucial. This includes developing person-centred plans, collaborating with healthcare providers, and regularly reviewing and updating these plans to ensure they remain effective.

Educating clients, families, and carers about choking and aspiration prevention is an integral part of comprehensive care. We will explore strategies for effective education and communication.

Environmental modifications can enhance safety during meals. We will discuss adapting dining areas, ensuring safe mealtime environments, and implementing safety protocols.

Monitoring and documentation practices are essential for ongoing care and improvement. We will cover daily monitoring practices, incident reporting procedures, and documentation for continuous improvement.

Collaboration with healthcare professionals such as speech therapists, dietitians, nutritionists, and occupational therapists is vital for comprehensive care. This section focuses on how to effectively engage and work with these professionals.

Finally, we address the legal and ethical considerations in choking and aspiration prevention. Understanding legal responsibilities, ethical decision-making in care, and ensuring client rights and advocacy are fundamental aspects of providing high-quality support.

This course aims to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to prevent and manage choking and aspiration incidents, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of individuals with disabilities under your care.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

·       Definition and Differences of Choking and Aspiration

·       Importance of Choking and Aspiration Prevention

·       Medical Conditions Increasing Risk of Choking and Aspiration

·       Behavioural and Environmental Risk Factors

·       Identification and Assessment of At-Risk Individuals

·       Anatomy and Physiology of Swallowing

·       Impact of Disabilities on Swallowing

·       Recognising Choking

·       Identifying Aspiration

·       Immediate Response Techniques for Choking and Aspiration

·       Safe Eating and Drinking Practices

·       Modifying Food and Liquid Consistencies

·       Feeding Assistance Techniques

·       Ensuring Dignity and Respect during Feeding

·       Aspiration Precautions

·       Pre- and Post-Feeding Guidelines

·       Monitoring and Managing Saliva

·       Managing Reflux and Vomiting

·       Emergency Response Procedures

·       Basic Life Support Techniques

·       Developing and Updating Individualised Support Plans

·       Developing Person-Centred Plans

·       Collaborating with Healthcare Providers

·       Educating Clients, Families and Carers

·       Adapting Dining Areas

·       Ensuring Safe Mealtime Environments

·       Implementing Safety Protocols during Mealtimes

·       Daily Monitoring Practices

·       Incident Reporting Procedures

·       Documentation for Continuous Improvement

·       Working with Speech Therapists

·       Coordination with Dietitians and Nutritionists

·       Engaging Occupational Therapists

·       Understanding the Legal Responsibilities

·       Ethical Decision-Making in Care

·       Ensuring Client Rights and Advocacy

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.