A Clinical Study of Dysphagia Patients Aged 65 Years and Over

Abstract

We explored the effectiveness of rehabilitation in terms of dysphagia among elderly patients. We studied 80 hospitalized patients aged ≥65 years. We explored whether age, gender, concomitant disease, pneumonia, cognitive decline, engagement in activities of daily living (ADLs), and summed Hyodo scores upon (fiberoptic) endoscopic evaluation of swallowing before treatment affected recovery from dysphagia. The ability to eat after treatment served as the dependent variable. Rehabilitation allowed 38 of the 80 patients to regain the capacity to eat. In terms of Hyodo scores, good pharyngeal clearance and pharyngeal sensation after swallowing were associated with the effectiveness of rehabilitation, but a significant number of patients with good pharyngeal performance did not regain the capacity to eat. Multiple regression analyses revealed that pneumonia and a lower level of participation in ADLs significantly reduced the effectiveness of rehabilitation for dysphagia. Such rehabilitation among the elderly must consider overall patient needs and their prognoses.