In the very first ever post, I wrote about what dysphagia is, its prevalence and its impact on people who live with the condition and support those with it too. One of the key points was that it is more prevalent in the 50+ age range. In fact, up to 20% of over 50’s are reported to have dysphagia which equates to roughly 1.25 million Australians or 5% of the Australian population.
Now 5% doesn’t sound like a large number, granted, but I’d like to reflect on a term that most would be familiar with- “aging population.”
In 2020, 16% of the population were above 65 and by 2066, it’s estimated that more than 20% of the population will be over 65. By that time, those over 65’s will be the young and fabulous of today
💁🏻♀️ 💅🏼🌈
What I’m getting at is that with an aging population, it’s likely that the prevalence of dysphagia will also increase over time, and with a food culture and hospitality industry that, impressive as it is, doesn’t currently cater for the condition, that’s a huge plight to face.
Currently in Melbourne, 10% of our population is over the age of 60 and this number is expected to triple by 2041. As it stands, 30% of those Melbournians aged 60 and over are engaged in the workforce and a further 70% of those are in professional and managerial roles indicating an educated and affluent lot. Arguably, the population most likely to have a disposable income and therefore be contributing to the hospitality industry by eating and drinking out. In addition to this, one quarter of domestic and international visitors are also over 55, further contributing to those figures.
That’s not to say that those without a disposable income shouldn’t have just as much access or are any less important. However, it does highlight the potential gap within the hospitality industry to meet the needs of the community who are actively contributing to their patronage.
The way the industry caters for the public’s health needs at the moment is generally through consideration of allergies such as different nuts, seafood, lactose and gluten. A huge step forward in this space has been the opening of coeliac friendly bakeries, cafes and restaurants. An absolutely life-changing step so that individual’s with coeliac disease, their families and friends can safely socialise over food and drink. However, there are currently no establishments catering for dysphagia with modified foods. But alas, that is not today’s goal.
Up to 12% of our population over 60 provide unpaid assistance to others, including their own family and a major part of providing care and assistance to others is cooking. This means that there is a huge unmet need in terms of awareness, resources and culture within the community, and for some, at our very own dinner tables.
There is such a big culinary culture, especially in Melbourne, both out and about and within our homes, not to mention the amazing multicultural resources available to us. However, few have had the experience, awareness and foresight to build resources and structure in this space. I say few, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the number of people popping up in the dysphagia community with cook books, blogs, videos and ideas (get amongst it).
The point being, dysphagia isn’t going anywhere and it’s likely to increase in numbers as we age as a population. So in my eyes, just like your health, your home and your bank- getting curious and experimental in the kitchen with modified recipes is investing in the future, and it can be both fun and rewarding to get inspired and create ✨
Imagine the the wonders we can have when the (currently) young and fabulous need it ✨
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