Media Release

For immediate release

The New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association (NZSTA) has formally endorsed the Residential Care Facilities Oropharyngeal Dysphagia Standards (Jan 2025) as an example of best practice in the management of swallowing difficulties (oropharyngeal dysphagia) in long-term residential care.

These standards, developed by Swallow & Speech Therapy Consultants Ltd, provide evidence-informed guidance to improve safety, quality, and equity of care for residents living with dysphagia. They include recommendations for early screening, culturally safe practice, access to speech-language therapy, workforce training, and adherence to the internationally recognised International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework.

NZSTA co-president Katrina McGarr said the endorsement reflects the Association’s commitment to advancing safe and equitable swallowing care in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“One in three residents in long-term care experience swallowing difficulties, which can lead to choking, pneumonia, and preventable deaths. These standards set a clear benchmark for quality care and provide a valuable tool for all residential care facilities. While NZSTA cannot enforce these standards, our endorsement is a call to action for providers, funders, and policymakers to adopt them as part of their everyday practice.”

NZSTA is urging residential care facilities, government agencies, and the wider health and disability sector to use the standards as a framework for improving safety and quality of life for residents. The Association will actively promote the standards through its networks, publications, and professional development programmes, and will advocate for their inclusion in national quality frameworks for aged residential care.

Important note:

NZSTA endorses these standards as an example of best practice in residential care dysphagia management. NZSTA does not have any authority to mandate, monitor, or enforce compliance in residential care facilities.