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Riverside staff mark Occupational Therapy Month; detail dysphagia diet standard and family outreach
Summary
Riverside occupational therapy staff briefed the Strafford County Commission on occupational therapy services, use of MOCA cognitive screening and adoption of IDDSI diet categories to reduce aspiration risk and guide family education.
Commissioners heard a brief presentation recognizing April as Occupational Therapy Month and outlining occupational therapy services at Riverside, including cognitive screening and food-texture standards intended to reduce choking and aspiration risk.
"Occupational therapy goes back, into like World War I ... it was determined at that time that using occupation was a way for soldiers to kind of improve their health, mental health and physical health," Christine, an occupational therapist at Riverside, told the commission. Christine said Riverside employs two full‑time occupational therapists who evaluate residents' self‑care tasks such as bathing and dressing and perform cognitive assessments.
On cognitive screening, Christine described use of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) as a baseline at admission and as a tool for follow-up when clinicians note changes. "We get a baseline. And then when the providers feel like, there's been some kind of cognitive change ... it's a consideration of, their power of attorneys reactivated," she said.
Christine and county staff described Riverside's adoption of IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) categories to standardize food textures and liquids for residents with chewing or swallowing difficulties. As Christine explained, "based on that, those categories would determine what food is safe at a regular texture or if you need to change it ... if an individual is having problems with chewing ... we have to modify their food texture and sometimes their liquids." She said the facility works closely with its dietitian to adapt menus and that family education is a core part of the approach.
Commissioners asked about scope and cost. Staff said they could provide dietary budget details later; Christine said there are "a large amount" of residents requiring some food‑texture modification but she did not provide an exact percentage.
Why it matters: standardized swallowing and texture guidelines are intended to reduce choking and aspiration pneumonia risk among frail residents, and family outreach can improve safety when families bring food from home.
Details and context: Christine said IDDSI helps staff "speak the same language" as hospitals when residents are discharged with a specified diet level. She noted that Riverside's physical therapy availability decreased from five days a week to three, increasing occupational therapy overlap where permitted by licensure. Staff also said they use liquid thickeners at times for medication administration and will provide cost figures on request.
Ending: Commissioners thanked staff for the overview and encouraged continued family education and coordination with dietitians and physical therapy.
