[Dysphagia] job post

[ppalmer at medonline.com (Phyllis M. Palmer)]

Liberty Healthcare is desperately in search of a highly credentialed
dysphagia expert at Muscatatuck Developmental Center (MSDC).  MSDC is
located in the southeastern part of Indiana and has been requested  to have
a dysphagia expert to join our team.  Muscatatuck is a MRDD (ICF/MR)
institution with approximately 104 citizens.  The facility is facing the
challenge of a closure date of June 2005.  The citizens remaining are
severe & profound with challenges increasing everyday.

The individual would not have to relocate, Liberty would provide all
lodging, travel, rental car, meals, etc, for the approximate year long
assignment.

I was hoping you could send an email out to the Dysphagia research society
members referencing my need.


 The Dysphagia Team Leader is not required to have a Speech-Language
Pathology background.   However, as noted, the person must be
"professionally well-credentialed and verifiably capable in:

(a) identifying individuals who are at risk for choking, aspiration, or
other swallowing issues.

(b) develop and implement criteria for regular documentation and
interventions based on each individual's symptoms (such as coughing and
gagging during any oral intake) for the direct care staff.

(c) assessing, developing and implementing timely and appropriate
interventions, and monitoring interventions as to: dysphagia, aspiration,
aspiration pneumonia, gastro esophageal reflux disease, and upper airway
obstructions ("collectively dysphagia"); and

(c) supervising or directing other persons performing these tasks
(collectively "Dysphagia Supports and Services")

In addition, identify individuals who are at risk for choking, aspiration,
or other swallowing issues and identify this somewhere where it can be
identified easily in the medical records. (The Dysphagia team needs to know
who is on their caseload)!

Have the Dysphagia team perform comprehensive evaluations to include the
person's 24-hour activity schedule (mealtimes, bathing, oral care,
medication administration, field trips, work shops, bedtime, dental
appointments, acute hospitalizations etc.) and develop a clinical care plan
to include interventions to prevent the dysphagia issues during the
individual's entire day, and not just at mealtime)

Develop and implement criteria for regular documentation and interventions
(i.e., notify the nurse or a member of the dysphagia team) based on each
individual's symptoms (such as coughing and gagging during any oral intake)
for the direct care staff.

Provide competency-based training on meal plans and/or clinical care plans
on a regular basis.

The dysphagia team needs to identify measurable outcomes for each
individual on their case load by which to evaluate the treatment
interventions.

Nursing needs to have specific criteria when to alert a member of the
dysphagia team that an individual is demonstrating symptoms so that they
are quickly reassessed for any needed changes or interventions to the
clinical care plan.

Develop an effective system that triggers the team in a timely manner when
an individual needs to be reassessed.  They are basically only doing it
annually with the ISP, but several individuals require much more frequently
monitoring.  The ID notes may indicate coughing during meals but the info
doesn't get to the Dysphagia team.

Develop a monitoring system to ensure clinical care plans are being
followed based on the individual's 24-hour activities and implement
corrective action plans when they are not.


 Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Lori Schulze
Liberty Healthcare Corporation
401 E City Ave
Suite 820
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
800-331-7122
610-668-8800 (INSIDE PA)
610-668-7689 (FAX)
215-280-1012 (CELL)
www.libertyhealthcare.com

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