Frequently Asked Questions

Contact provincial or state colleges or associations to find SLPs who may provide consultative services. Depending on your geographic area, consulting may also be arranged by contacting us through our website.

Yes. The TTMD-R is a collaborative and comprehensive dysphagia management program for long-term care that combines best practice, education and a structured approach for interdisciplinary care to enhance the safety and quality of life for residents. Even if your access to SLP is limited, it is important to have an SLP as part of the dysphagia team and able to oversee the program to ensure its success.

If your speech-language pathologist does not feel that he/she has the advanced skills necessary to lead the TTMD-R program, an SLP with more advanced training in dysphagia management can oversee the program and be available for consultation as needed. Alternatively, the SLP can attend further training and seek mentorship from another SLP.

Contact us through our website to discuss whether or not the descriptions of the diet textures in your site are similar to those used in the TTMD-R. If this is the case, the TTMD-R form may be able to be customized for an additional fee.

No, two manuals for each facility come with the purchase of a site license and may be shared within the site. The license includes unlimited use and reproduction of the Test Form and education material. The manual itself may not be photocopied or adapted and is not available electronically. If additional manual copies are required, they may be purchased separately.

If the TTMD Test protocol indicates that the resident requires thick liquids, refer to an SLP if one is available. At a minimum, the use of thickened liquids should always be reviewed every three months.

SLPs provide advanced knowledge of dysphagia, and will assist with the oversight of the program at your site to ensure that the training and implementation is successful. They can also be available to provide consultation on more advanced and complex cases and to train new Facilitators if there is staff turnover.

The level of SLP involvement will be determined by the site’s resources and the specific situation.

The instructions provided in the manual are from the University of Manitoba, School of Dental Hygiene. You may use comparable guidelines if they are already available at your facility.

Not at this time, however, please contact us and we can discuss options.

No, unfortunately, there are no guarantees given the complexity of issues that can contribute to the development of pneumonia and other complications related to dysphagia. The goal of the TTMD-R program is to reduce the risk of further complications from dysphagia and to improve the resident quality of life by making mealtime a more pleasant experience. The TTMD-R also does not replace the need or value of a full assessment and treatment program developed by a speech-language pathologist.

The manual and all material may be used at each site (location) that has purchased a TTMD-R license.

Not at this time, however this will be coming in the near future for an additional cost. Contact us to obtain more information if you are interested.

No, the TTMD-R was developed for use with an adult population residing in long-term care facilities. This test is not designed for use in acute care, outpatient settings or with the pediatric population.

We do not recommend using the TTMD-R in these situations. These residents have more complex dysphagia and require a full assessment from a speech-language pathologist.