[Dysphagia] Swallow bleeps UK

[RBeecher at chw.org (Beecher, Robert)]

There have been several of these devices developed over the years to remind people to swallow.  We used one developed by the Hugh MacMillan Center in Canada that sounds very similar. It looked like a pager and could be set at a variety of intervals and you could select an audible or a vibrating alarm. We used it with a variety of our patients including children with cerebral palsy. We had only brief, short term success. We found that the children accommodated quite rapidly to the alarm regardless of the alarm used or whether we changed from one alarm to another. Also, school-aged children often refused to wear it at school because it called additional attention to them. Teachers were not fond of it either. I think that the teachers did not appreciate the disruption of the alarm going off at regular intervals 
and they accommodated less rapidly than the child wearing the device. I do not know how adults would respond, however, as our practice is limited to pediatric patients.

Bob

Robert Beecher, M.S., CCC-SLP
Senior Speech/Language Pathologist
Masters Family Speech and Hearing Center
Saliva Control Clinic
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI


 -----Original Message-----
From: 	dysphagia-bounces@b9.com [mailto:dysphagia-bounces@b9.com]  On Behalf Of Paula leslie
Sent:	Wednesday, August 24, 2005 8:16 AM
To:	Anita Slapin; Dysphagia List
Subject:	RE: [Dysphagia] Swallow bleeps UK

Sorry I just found them:

+The swallow reminder is a simply brooch style device that reminds the user to 
swallow at regular intervals with a beep. The swallow Reminder is the result 
of an idea brought to Bath Institute of Medical Engineering by a local speech 
therapist who regularly uses them with her clients. The swallow Reminder is 
powered by an SR44 or equivalent watch style battery that will give 2 months 
continuous use. The volume and interval of the beeps are adjustable with 
controls on the back of the Swallow Reminder. The time interval can be 
adjusted between 15 seconds and 2 minutes. Also included is a backing sheet 
and instruction manual.


http://www.winslow-cat.com/cgi-bin/winslow.storefront

We are thinking of trying this with a person who is concerned that they are 
swimming in secretions when to cut a very complex story short, we think they 
might just not be swallowing often enough, and it's a learned behaviour.  So 
we want to try to unlearn it before trying anything else drastic.

So yes kind of like biofeedback.  I'd be interesetd to hear if anyone has used 
this thing!

Paula


>===== Original Message From "Anita Slapin" <swallow2@bellsouth.net> =====
>Hi,  What little button bleeps.  I never heard of it .  Sounds sort of like
>biofeedback.  Anita
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Paula leslie" <Paula.Leslie@newcastle.ac.uk>
>To: "Dysphagia List" <dysphagia@b9.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 7:11 AM
>Subject: [Dysphagia] Swallow bleeps UK
>
>
>> Hello All
>>
>> Does anyone know who produces the little button bleeps that remind people
>> to
>> swallow?
>>
>> UK availability?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Paula
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Dysphagia mailing list
>> Dysphagia@b9.com
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>>

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