Dr. Amber Heape, ClinScD, CCC-SLP, CDP, joins host Sarah Baar to unpack some of the most common and controversial myths surrounding dysphagia management in residential care. Drawing from over two decades of clinical leadership and teaching experience, Amber and Sarah challenge long-held assumptions about compliance, patient choice, and what truly supports quality of life. Together, they explore how clinicians can shift from fear-based decision-making to evidence-informed, person-centered care. Tune in as we navigate the gray areas of dysphagia practice and explore what it really means to compromise for the sake of dignity and autonomy.

Learning Outcomes

• Analyze the evidence around dysphagia management practices in residential care settings, with a focus on ethical considerations and person-centered care

• Determine the situations in which individualized care planning and interdisciplinary collaboration provide the most benefit for balancing aspiration risk and quality of life
• Solve patient case scenarios involving dysphagia management by applying current evidence, patient autonomy, and ethical communication strategies in team-based care

Timestamps

• (00:00:00) Welcome
• (00:00:05) Introduction and the ethics of dysphagia
• (00:01:18) Guest introduction: Dr. Amber Heape
• (00:03:40) The evolution of evidence-based practice
• (00:05:19) Myth: waivers and the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual
• (00:09:32) Myth: patient choice and decision-making capacity
• (00:14:23) Strategies for quality of life compromises
• (00:17:42) Myth: clinical judgment vs. the patient's lived experience
• (00:24:00) Myth: discharge due to “noncompliance“
• (00:29:18) Myth: aspiration risk and altered consistencies
• (00:32:24) Myth: cultural perspectives on food and caring
• (00:34:57) Impact on assessment time and planning
• (00:36:45) Shifting facility culture through communication
• (00:41:48) Top three actionable takeaways
• (00:44:05) Experiential learning and clinical empathy
• (00:48:08) Final words of wisdom

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