Speech Pathology helps with mealtime support
Moving out of home for the first time is exciting for any young person, but for Ellie King, there were additional things to consider. When Ellie and her family decided to choose The Disability Trust for Ellie’s accommodation service, her mealtime support was a top priority.
Ellie lives with an intellectual and physical disability and epilepsy, and as a result has some additional support needs at mealtimes. Trusted Clinical Services, the multi- disciplinary clinical team of The Disability Trust were able to arrange supports to ensure Ellie’s transition to her new home was as smooth as possible.
Kate Bruton, Speech Pathologist, describes Ellie’s mealtime needs: “Ellie needs some extra support to ensure she eats and drinks as safely as possible. Food needs to be soft and chopped into small pieces, otherwise there is a big risk of Ellie choking, and that could have serious consequences.”
Kate, who provides Speech Pathology services with Trusted Clinical Services: explains; “People often don’t realise that Speech Pathologists assist people with eating, drinking and swallowing safely.”
Trusted Clinical Services also provided the support of Daniel Perdon, Occupational Therapist. The two therapists worked together to ensure Ellie was in a comfortable and safe position at mealtimes, which also involved modifying the dining table to allow Ellie’s wheelchair to fit.
“This has allowed Ellie to maintain her independence and ensure she is included in the dining area at mealtimes,” Kate said. “Eating and drinking is such an important part of how we relate. For her family, it was very important that Ellie was happy and settled, and that meant a safe, well supported mealtime.”
A team approach is key for Trusted Clinical Services. As Kate says: “Working together as a team, that’s what we do to get the best results.”