So my grandma eats and drinks unnecessarily fast and basically just keeps shoving the food or drink in her mouth without really swallowing first. She ends up looking like a greedy chipmunk at every meal. I didn’t think much of it until last week when she actually choked on something and the caregiver had to do abdominal thrusts to save her. Traumatic (probably more for me than her honestly). So I've been watching more closely now and I’ve noticed her coughing like the liquid goes down the wrong pipe or she’s got too much food in her mouth she can’t even chew it. So at first I thought she just needs to be monitored and reminded while eating (I have to like stop her arm from stuffing more food and say “first, chew”). But then she nearly choked on a calcium tablet. Granted they are big, but she never had a problem before. I started breaking them in half the last two days. I’m very worried about aspiration, but she seems very far from the stages of dementia where that’s usually a concern. Ideas? Tips? I cut her food small and don’t give her huge glasses of liquids, but it doesn’t seem to help much.
Another consideration is that she should be fed in a quiet environment with no disruption. I mean TV should be off and people should not be walking around so that there is no distraction. It may take a long time for each meal, but it is better than the consequences of aspiration.
I have lived with this problem with my wife for years. Eventually, you may have to puree her food to a thickness like pudding.
Good luck.