The videofluoroscopy service, which was inaugurated by the Minister for Active Aging, Jo Etienne Abela, is part of the one and a half million euro investment made in the St. Vincent Digital Imaging Unit at the Geriatric Day Hospital.
Minister Abela stressed that this investment will improve the quality of life of the elderly. This is a new state-of-the-art service, complementing a number of other services provided in St. Vincent. It will benefit not only St. Vincent de Paul residents, but also seniors living in nursing homes and those still living in the community.
It has been explained that videofluoroscopy is a continuous x-ray of how a person swallows. During this examination a person is asked to eat and drink a variety of foods and beverages, according to the person’s abilities, as identified by the speech language pathologist, and a plan is issued on how to reduce the health risks associated with difficulty swallowing. The service is used by people living with neurological conditions such as stroke, parkinson’s and dementia who may have difficulty swallowing food and the problems are of varying severity.
X-ray machines have been specially purchased to be equipped with the latest technology, with lower radiation emissions and fully digital. To date, this service has only been provided at Mater Dei Hospital. Thanks to this step launched today, hundreds of elderly people will not have to go to Mater Dei Hospital to receive the service and this will lead to a reduction in the waiting list.
“We continue to show our great commitment in the field of the elderly. Our goal is to continuously improve the services, in favor of the senior citizen who needs them, ”concluded Minister Jo Etienne Abela.
Source: Office of the Prime Minister