Health and Safety
Nutrition and Swallowing
Assessment type
Training only (attendance)
Minimum duration
30 Minutes
Course delivery
E-learning
Description
The Nutrition and Swallowing eLearning course provides learners with an understanding of the importance of appropriate nutrition, hydration and safe swallowing when supporting individuals in health and social care settings.
The course explores factors that can affect eating, drinking and swallowing, including difficulties that may increase the risk of malnutrition, dehydration or choking. Learners will consider how to recognise potential concerns, support individuals appropriately at mealtimes and follow individual care plans and professional guidance relating to nutrition and swallowing needs.
Who Should Attend?
- Health and social care workers.
- Care and support workers.
- Employees who support individuals with eating and drinking.
- Employees working in residential, supported living or community care settings.
- Employees supporting older people or individuals with additional care needs.
- Managers and supervisors within care services.
- Anyone requiring awareness of nutrition, hydration and swallowing difficulties.
What You Will Learn
- The importance of good nutrition and hydration.
- Understanding the role of a balanced and appropriate diet.
- Recognising factors that may affect an individual's nutritional intake.
- Understanding the importance of maintaining appropriate hydration.
- Recognising potential signs of dehydration.
- Recognising potential signs of malnutrition.
- Understanding how illness, disability and other factors may affect eating and drinking.
- What is meant by swallowing difficulties or dysphagia.
- Recognising potential signs of swallowing difficulties.
- Understanding the potential risks associated with dysphagia.
- Awareness of choking and aspiration risks.
- Recognising changes in an individual's ability to eat or drink safely.
- Supporting individuals appropriately during meals and drinks.
- Promoting independence with eating and drinking where appropriate.
- Maintaining dignity, choice and person-centred support.
- Understanding the importance of appropriate positioning when eating and drinking.
- Following individual care plans and professional recommendations.
- Awareness of texture-modified foods and thickened fluids where prescribed or recommended.
- Avoiding changes to food or fluid consistency without appropriate guidance.
- Maintaining appropriate food and personal hygiene.
- Monitoring and recording food and fluid intake where required.
- Recognising when an individual may require additional support.
- Reporting changes or concerns relating to eating, drinking or swallowing.
- Knowing when concerns should be escalated to an appropriate healthcare professional.
- Following organisational procedures and agreed ways of working.
- Contributing to safe and appropriate nutritional and mealtime support.
Course Delivery
This course is delivered as self-directed eLearning through the ELMO learning platform.
Learners can work through the course at their own pace and can move backwards and forwards through the learning content as required. The course does not need to be completed in one sitting, allowing learners to leave and return to their training where necessary.
Interactive activities may be included throughout the course to reinforce key learning points.
Assessment
Knowledge and understanding are checked through online assessment activities. Depending on the course content, these may include multiple-choice questions, matching exercises, drag-and-drop activities and image-based questions.
A minimum score of 70% is required to successfully complete the course.
Certification
Upon successful completion of the course and assessment requirements, learners will receive a UK Rural Skills (UKRS) Accredited Certificate of Training.
This is an awareness-based eLearning course and does not qualify learners to assess, diagnose or clinically manage swallowing difficulties. Individuals must follow the person's care plan and recommendations provided by appropriately qualified healthcare professionals and receive any practical or role-specific training required for the support they provide.
Course Duration
The course is self-directed and learners can progress through the content at their own pace. Completion time may therefore vary depending on the individual learner.
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