(Courtesy of The Jewish Home) The Jewish Home Family is proud to be able to offer residents Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)—an in-house method of determining swallow disorders that is part of the Jewish Home’s wider efforts to prevent hospitalization and keep elders safe.

“Two options for objective swallow studies exist,” explained Jewish Home at Rockleigh speech therapist Emily Spazante. “One of them is a modified barium study—which is a swallowing evaluation completed with X-ray to determine a swallowing disorder. But that requires a hospital visit. Recently we partnered with a mobile FEES study company—which is excellent for elders at Jewish Home since they’ll have access to this study if recommended by a speech therapist, and because this is completed in the building it doesn’t require any quarantine or other risks involved in leaving the building.”

Multiple studies have found that FEES is even more sensitive in identifying the presence of bolus materials than the barium study—but the speech therapist would decide which study is more appropriate.

“We are pleased that our elders now have more options,” said Jewish Home Director of Rehab Ilana Dallas. “Allowing elders to be assessed in the safety of our home environment rather than the hospital is a very positive development.”

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