Dear Friends and Colleagues: A significant change is underway regarding food preparation for individuals with developmental disabilities, in particular, how we can protect people from the dangers of dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing). Dysphagia can lead to choking or aspiration (better known as “food going down the wrong pipe”), which can result in serious injury and/or death.
Over the next several months, OPWDD will be developing and rolling out the choking prevention initiative to address and decrease the risk that dysphagia presents to the people we support.
For the first time, our initiative will standardize—statewide—our system’s approach to food preparation. It will also heighten awareness of choking hazards. Through this initiative, we will unveil several trainings on choking and aspiration prevention, define standardized diet consistencies complete with a lexicon (the difference between cut sizes, ground food, and pureed food) and develop supportive materials to facilitate training and regular practices moving forward.
Starting in mid-February, practice materials for in-home use, such as posters and cutting boards, will be produced and distributed to all state and nonprofit operated homes. We expect this initiative’s first training to be finalized at that time, as well. Once complete it can be used both as an introduction to choking and aspiration prevention, and as a refresher for staff who have had previous training.
We will make additional announcements in the coming weeks as materials near distribution.
I would like to thank the many people from state and nonprofit programs who have been involved in this process, especially the committee of clinicians developing the new training curriculum. Because of their expertise and thorough review of the many useful, but inconsistent practices happening in New York, as well as plans in other states, I am confident that our initiative will be comprehensive and effective, and help us keep the individuals we serve safe.
Sincerely,
Commissioner Burke
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