AusACPDM Mealtimes Study Day

A number of presentations focussed on the experiences of parents of children with mealtime issues and described the services and resources that had been developed to inform and support parents.

The workings and data from a multidisciplinary team for children with cerebral palsy were presented, with a focus on investigation and recommendations for chest management in children where aspiration is detected. A presentation of data from bone density studies, and a discussion of bone health was also of interest for many of the participants who had had little prior exposure or information about this area.

A number of presentations described current service delivery in the different states, which reflected variations on a number of themes, including the need for development of experience and expertise, the necessity for involvement or access to a broad multi-disciplinary team, the growth of demand for service, and the complexity of achieving coordination, good communication and continuity of care from acute to community settings.

Though the majority of registrants from allied health were speech pathologists, colleagues from Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy contributed some great information, linking in sensory processing and positioning and mobility issues as part of the ‘big picture’.

The summaries of the discussion groups provided a great blueprint for ‘where next’ around the topics, and along for the calls for similar forums, highlighted the demand for an umbrella organisation to provide a conduit for exchange of information and provision of further opportunities to bring together the broad range of practitioners in this area.
Great, please continue and let’s get together again in 2 years time, thanks to all involved

Some kind of special interest group Australia wide would be fabulous, for more forms, resources and idea sharing like this

Try to build in a regular component of ACPDM program to hopefully entice other disciplines to join in.

Let’s hope that the day created enough inspiration to those who attended to be involved in the next AusACPDM conference.
Catherine Olsson