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The Connecticut Swallowing Center has five convenient locations
for the treatment of dysphagia. Patients are given strategies to maximize safety in swallowing. Dietary changes in food consistency
and content can vastly improve a patient’s swallowing function and overall health. We also offer the services of a Registered
Dietitian so that patients can be assure that they are getting optimum nutrition and hydration. The patient’s progress is
carefully monitored and alterations to diet can be made with input from the treating speech-language pathologist and the dietitian.
Alterations and upgrades to a diet can be made as milestones are achieved.
Speech-language pathologists play an essential
role in the treatment of dysphagia. All our therapists are licensed by the State of Connecticut. They have extensive training
and experience with swallowing disorders and attend classes and conferences to remain informed about cutting edge advances
in technologies for diagnosis and treatment.
Our experience has demonstrated that most people improve more rapidly
when they feel they are participating in the decisions about their treatment based on the education they receive from their
speech therapist and their doctor. The Connecticut Swallowing Center utilizes a comprehensive team approach in which the patient
is an active participant. There is less of a sense of “being done to” and more of a sense of receiving “assistance with” dysphagia
when the patient participates in the treatment process. For example, food preferences are taken into account when designing
a specialized diet. The patient’s family may be consulted and encouraged to assist in helping to improve functioning. The
Connecticut Swallowing Center recognizes that patient motivation in adhering to recommendations by the team hinges on the
patient’s sense of being encouraged to participate in the process.
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