In this episode, Professor Bronwyn Hemsley and her guests explore the complex world of mealtimes on mental health wards, including the perspectives of people with mental health conditions who experience difficulty swallowing.

Mealtimes in hospital are important for gaining access to nutrition and drinks, and should provide opportunities for enjoyment and recovery. But being on a busy mental health ward in hospital can impact on the way a consumer experiences their meals.

Discover how small changes can make mealtimes safer, calmer, and more enjoyable for people with dysphagia on mental health wards.

Thanks to the University of Technology Sydney Disability Access and Inclusion Fund for supporting co-production of this episode.

Resources:

Guthrie, S., J.Baker, J.Cahill, and B.Hemsley. 2026. “Patient Perspectives on Inpatient Mealtimes: Insights on Swallowing, Mental Wellbeing and Recovery.” International Journal of Mental Health Nursing35, no. 1: e70212. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.70212.

Dr Susan Guthrie’s Doctoral Research Thesis ‘The mealtime experiences of adults with mental illness living on inpatient wards’ - https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/35418/

Me At Mealtimes video on Dr Susan Guthrie’s PhD research - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIg2SLHk7vY

Speech Pathology Australia – (go to ‘Find a Speech Pathologist’) - https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Host: Professor Bronwyn Hemsley

Guests: Kate Starr (Research Assistant at the University of Technolgoy Sydney, Consumer) and Dr Susan Guthrie (Principal Speech and Language therapist for Leeds and York Partnership Trust, and Honorary Research Fellow at School of Healthcare, University of Leeds)

Producer: Ali Aitken

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Choking on food and aspiration pneumonia are two of the leading causes of death for people with disability and older people in residential settings. These tragic deaths can be prevented with proper care and attention to every person’s swallowing and mealtime needs – whether that be through assessment by a speech pathologist, a clear and helpful mealtime plan, effective mealtime supervision, or attention to the person’s positioning during and after meals.

In this episode Professor Bronwyn Hemsley and her guests with lived experiences of swallowing difficulty and choking on food, or investigating deaths due to choking on food, discuss the many angles of choking on food that demand greater and urgent attention.

Thanks to the University of Technology Sydney Seed Grant fund supporting co-production of this episode.

Resources:

Safer Care Victoria (2026) GUIDANCE – Communicating Safe Eating and Drinking (Victoria State Government, Australia) - https://www.safercare.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-06/GUIDANCE%20-%20Communicating%20safe%20eating%20and%20drinking%20-%20Accessible.docx

Host: Professor Bronwyn Hemsley

Guests: Fiona Given (Person with lived experience of dysphagia, coughing on food), Meredith Allan (Person with lived experience of dysphagia, food choking, and changes in swallowing across the lifespan), and Adjunct Professor Dr Jeffrey Chan

Producer: Ali Aitken

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this three-part series within ‘What’s got us talking…’, researcher and person with swallowing disability Fiona Given helps us to understand the many factors affecting a person with difficulty swallowing. Across the three episodes, Fiona brings together the perspectives of people with lived experience of swallowing difficulty, their supporters, and health professionals.

In this episode, Fiona and her guests focus on lived experience of swallowing disability across the lifespan - how swallowing changes over time, how it affects independence and identity, and what it takes to stay safe while still staying part of the social world of food. Gain insight into the issues that matter when co‑designing safe and enjoyable meals for people with swallowing disability.

Thanks to the University of Technology Sydney Disability Access and Inclusion Fund for supporting co-production of this series.

Resources:

Hemsley, B., Almond, B., Given, F., Darcy, S., L’Espoir Decosta, P., Dann, S., … Balandin, S. (2024). Craving inclusion: a systematic review on the experiences and needs of people with disability eating out. Disability and Rehabilitation, 46(22), 5183–5198. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2023.2295006

International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative - https://www.iddsi.org/home

National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality & Safeguards Commission (2020) Practice Alert Dysphagia, safe swallowing, and mealtime management - https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-05/practice-alert-dysphagia-safe-swallowing-and-mealtime-management.pdf

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, Worker training modules (go to ‘Supporting Safe and Enjoyable Meals’ module) - https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/workforce/online-training-modules

Speech Pathology Australia, fact sheet, Swallowing difficulty - https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Public/Public/Comm-swallow/Swallowing.aspx

Safer Care Victoria (2026) GUIDANCE – Communicating Safe Eating and Drinking (Victoria State Government, Australia) - https://www.safercare.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-06/GUIDANCE%20-%20Communicating%20safe%20eating%20and%20drinking%20-%20Accessible.docx

Host: Fiona Given

Guests: Meredith Allan (Person with lived experience of dysphagia, food choking, and changes in swallowing across the lifespan), Adjunct Professor Dr Jeffrey Chan, and Professor Bronwyn Hemsley

Producer: Ali Aitken

Assistant Producers: Bronwyn Hemsley, Fiona Given

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.