Development of Dysphagia Risk Assessment Scale for Elderly Living at Home

. In another study examining 56 elderly individuals without swallowing difficulty, abnormalities were identified by videofluoroscopic (VF) examination of swallowing: oral stage: 63%; pharyngeal stage: 25%; hypopharyngo-esophageal junction: 39%; and esophageal stage: 36% 2) . These findings suggest that the elderly living at home may be at risk of dysphagia during daily activities. The presence of untreated dysphagia may lead to life-threatening problems, such as malnutrition, dehydration, and choking. Furthermore, according to the Annual of Pathological Autopsy Cases published by the Japanese Society of Pathology, 78.2% of those who died due to aspiration pneumonia were aged 60 and over 3) ; dysphagia is closely associated with pneumonia and bronchitis as the fourth leading cause of death in the elderly aged 65 and over. Under such circumstances, it is necessary to establish social systems to address the age-related incidence of dysphagia in the elderly living at home; however, in Japan, dietary life is frequently regarded as a domestic issue. In addition, the needs assessment sheet used in the long-term care system contains only 1 item related to swallowing: . Although detailed dysphagia assessment is performed by municipalities, social support for the prevention and early identification of dysphagia remains insufficient. The elderly and their families tend to be unaware of the presence of dysphagia, and, even if they are aware of it, they frequently regard occasional choking while eating as an inevitable, natural, age-related symptom, rather than a problem to address. Considering such a situation, this study aimed to develop a self-administered dysphagia risk assessment scale (scale), with a view to identifying the elderly living at home with such risks and supporting them in the early stages.