EVALUATION OF SWALLOWING IN ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS IN A LONG-TERM CARE INSTITUTION IN THE FEDERAL DISTRICT

Abstract

Aging causes oromyofacial changes that compromise chewing and swallowing, increasing the risks of dysphagia, malnutrition, and aspiration pneumonia, especially in Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs). This cross-sectional and descriptive study retrospectively analyzed 100 medical records of elderly individuals (60 years or older) from the Instituto Lar dos Velhinhos Maria Madalena (DF), between January 2022 and April 2025, using the Dysphagia Risk Assessment Protocol (PARD) to investigate the prevalence, severity levels, and comorbidities associated with dysphagia, including dementia, systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), mental disorders, epilepsy, diabetes mellitus, stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, and cancer. The results demonstrated a prevalence of dysphagia in 33% of the sample, with a statistically significant association with dementia (p=0.043), in addition to relevant relationships with other comorbidities, such as hypertension (present in 56% of cases) and diabetes mellitus (36.4% of cases with dysphagia). Despite the limited application of the PARD (recorded in only 49% of medical records), the protocol proved to be important as a screening tool, reinforcing the need for systematic evaluation of swallowing in institutionalized elderly people. It is concluded that dysphagia in institutionalized elderly people has a multifactorial etiology, influenced by the coexistence of several comorbidities, highlighting the importance of early speech therapy interventions and an interdisciplinary approach to ensure food security and quality of life in this population.