Validation of the Korean version of the standardized swallowing assessment among nursing home residents

Abstract

Proper management and prevention of dysphagia is an urgent need of long-term care for older adults in Korea. However, no screening tools with high sensitivity and accessibility have been validated within Korean nursing home settings. The purpose of this study was to validate a screening tool for nurses to identify dysphagia and aspiration risk in nursing home residents. RNs screened 395 residents from two nursing homes in South Korea using the Korean version of the Standardized Swallowing Assessment (K-SSA). Results were validated against those from the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS). Compared to results from the GUSS, with 9-point and 14-point cutoffs, the K-SSA had a sensitivity of 0.94 and specificity of 0.65 for screening dysphagia and 0.86 sensitivity and 0.71 specificity for screening aspiration risks. The K-SSA demonstrated excellent sensitivity and specificity for screening individuals at risk of dysphagia and aspiration when used by RNs in nursing homes.