[Dysphagia] Reintroduction of taste

[hillivie423 at adelphia.net (hillivie423@adelphia.net)]

 There is a bite block (actually it is called a disposable mouth prop with a handle) you can use for the oral care problem, first on one side of the mouth, then on the other as you clean the opposite side.  It is called Open Wide Plus, and is available from Specialized Care Company, 15 Renee Court, Edison, NJ 08820-3634, or call 1-800-722-7375.
---- Tammy.Gadbois@med.va.gov wrote: 
> I have a patient with a severe TBI (much worse than Terri Schiavo if you're
> familiar with her status) who after 14 + years of being sedated with
> Phenobarbital is now weaned off it and is becoming a little more alert.
> During his awake times he is able to indicate yes/no fairly accurately with
> foot movement or raising a finger.  His family want to give him as much
> stimuli for QOL as they can and they want to know about offering him tastes.
> He does not effectively manage his own secretions and gets pneumonia about
> 2x/year.  Has been tube fed for the entire 14+ years.  His oral care is not
> great because he bites down and won't let you in to clean effectively.  Any
> thoughts or suggestions????
> 
> Thanks, Tammy C Gadbois
> Audiologist/Speech Language Pathologist
> VA Medical Center - Tomah, WI
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