[Dysphagia] Swallow bleeps UK

[Paula.Leslie at newcastle.ac.uk (Paula leslie)]

Thanks Barbara, Bob and Diane,

I've put all the comments together.  Yes the business of desensitisation is a 
worry but we have to try this.  The young person is very committed to a trach 
intervention but is stumbling due to the secretions issue.  We want to try 
this to see if we can get half way so he feels OK and then the other 
intervention could be performed which would help him for his main problem.  
His hearing is OK - but that's a good point for our more elderly people.

It is a bit chicken and eggy so we must plump for one thing and establish it's 
effect.

Oh - these things cost about ?45 so they're not cheap!  But they are more 
portable than a metronome.  Sorry I have nothing in print but Winslow would be 
quite happy to send you something Barbara.  I just copied the text below off 
their site.

Paula


>===== Original Message From diane sellstrom <dianesellstrom98@yahoo.com> 
=====
>I've used the Swallow Reminder Brooch a couple of
>times but to be honest with limited success. I found
>they either couldn't hear it (it's quite high pitch)
>or ignored it!
>I remember at a Dysphagia SIG (special interest group)
>from a few years ago, Lizzy Marks talking about
>methods of saliva control in PD. She was doing some
>research into it which i think included the brooch.
>Damned if i can find the info from it though! will
>keep hunting and let you know if i've any success.


>===== Original Message From "Beecher, Robert" <RBeecher@chw.org> =====
>There have been several of these devices developed over the years to remind 
people to swallow.  We used one developed by the Hugh MacMillan Center in 
Canada that sounds very similar. It looked like a pager and could be set at a 
variety of intervals and you could select an audible or a vibrating alarm. We 
used it with a variety of our patients including children with cerebral palsy. 
We had only brief, short term success. We found that the children accommodated 
quite rapidly to the alarm regardless of the alarm used or whether we changed 
from one alarm to another. Also, schoo
>l-aged children often refused to wear it at school because it called 
additional attention to them. Teachers were not fond of it either. I think 
that the teachers did not appreciate the disruption of the alarm going off at 
regular intervals
>and they accommodated less rapidly than the child wearing the device. I do 
not know how adults would respond, however, as our practice is limited to 
pediatric patients.
>
>Bob
>
>Robert Beecher, M.S., CCC-SLP
>Senior Speech/Language Pathologist
>Masters Family Speech and Hearing Center
>Saliva Control Clinic
>Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
>Milwaukee, WI


>===== Original Message From "Barbara C. Sonies" <bsonies@comcast.net> =====
>Sounds like a very important device for carry over especially useful for
>children with CP and those with neurological conditions. I am teaching a
>class now and wonder if you have anything in print that you can share so I
>can show the students. I used to use a metronome as a reminder.
>B Sonies. Ph. D. BRS-s


> -----Original Message-----
>From: 	dysphagia-bounces@b9.com [mailto:dysphagia-bounces@b9.com]  On Behalf 
Of Paula leslie
>Sent:	Wednesday, August 24, 2005 8:16 AM
>To:	Anita Slapin; Dysphagia List
>Subject:	RE: [Dysphagia] Swallow bleeps UK
>
>Sorry I just found them:
>
>+The swallow reminder is a simply brooch style device that reminds the user 
to
>swallow at regular intervals with a beep. The swallow Reminder is the result
>of an idea brought to Bath Institute of Medical Engineering by a local speech
>therapist who regularly uses them with her clients. The swallow Reminder is
>powered by an SR44 or equivalent watch style battery that will give 2 months
>continuous use. The volume and interval of the beeps are adjustable with
>controls on the back of the Swallow Reminder. The time interval can be
>adjusted between 15 seconds and 2 minutes. Also included is a backing sheet
>and instruction manual.
>
>
>http://www.winslow-cat.com/cgi-bin/winslow.storefront
>
>We are thinking of trying this with a person who is concerned that they are
>swimming in secretions when to cut a very complex story short, we think they
>might just not be swallowing often enough, and it's a learned behaviour.  So
>we want to try to unlearn it before trying anything else drastic.
>
>So yes kind of like biofeedback.  I'd be interesetd to hear if anyone has 
used
>this thing!
>
>Paula
>
>
>>===== Original Message From "Anita Slapin" <swallow2@bellsouth.net> =====
>>Hi,  What little button bleeps.  I never heard of it .  Sounds sort of like
>>biofeedback.  Anita
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Paula leslie" <Paula.Leslie@newcastle.ac.uk>
>>To: "Dysphagia List" <dysphagia@b9.com>
>>Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 7:11 AM
>>Subject: [Dysphagia] Swallow bleeps UK
>>
>>
>>> Hello All
>>>
>>> Does anyone know who produces the little button bleeps that remind people
>>> to
>>> swallow?
>>>
>>> UK availability?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> Paula

Paula Leslie
Degree Programme Director
Surgical and Reproductive Sciences
Faculty of Medical Sciences
University of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE2 4HH
UK
+44 (0) 191 222 6279(T)/8988(F)
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/sars/postgrad/MSc.htm