Oral and facial exercises: used to increase swallow strength to promote full clearance of food from oral cavity through the stages of swallowing. Promote a more efficient swallow performance (Cohen, Roffe, Beavan, Blackett, Fairfield, Hamdy, & Bath, 2016). Also used to target facial weakness secondary to the stroke.
Opening and closing lips, puckering and pursing lips, whistling, moving tongue side to side (Levy, 2016). Perform exercises before each meal. Encourage more talking throughout the day.
Grade up: Incorporate more reps of exercises, more times throughout the day. Encourage client to talk and sing more throughout the day.
Grade down: Perform exercises with OT present, providing verbal cues to complete each