Drink Thickness Assessment Kit
This drink thickness assessment kit helps Speech and Language Therapists ensure drinks used during their dysphagia assessment adhere to the IDDSI Framework.
When assessing a person’s ability to swallow, it’s important that you thicken drinks to accurately match the drink thickness levels of the IDDSI Framework. But unfortunately you can’t rely on the guidance given by the thickener manufacturer because different drinks require different amounts of thickener to reach the same consistency. The consistency of a drink can also change over time, particularly as a hot drink cools down. We explain this in more detail in why test the thickness of a drink.
Until now, the only way to ensure adherence to the IDDSI Framework was the IDDSI flow test. But this is quite complicated and difficult to perform by yourself. It’s more suitable for training sessions than daily use in the clinical setting. You also need the correct syringes and they aren’t always easy to get hold of. In our article on the IDDSI Syringe Test, we explain these problems, issues and limitations in more detail.
QUICK, EASY, ACCURATE
The Viscgo Assessment Kit enables you to quickly and easily ensure that the thickness of a drink adheres to the IDDSI Framework when thickening drinks with gum-based thickener.
By using the Assessment Kit you can be assured that you are mixing drinks to the correct consistency, giving you peace of mind and confidence in the accuracy of your assessment and diagnosis.
And if the person with dysphagia or their carers then use the appropriate Viscgo sticks to check every drink is at the prescribed consistency, your recommendations are more likely to be adhered to. This will make it easier for you to evaluate the efficacy of your recommendations at review.
The kit consists of 5 sticks that have been calibrated by Associate Professor Ben Hanson of University College London, Board Member of IDDSI, designer of the IDDSI Flow Test, to ensure they accurately adhere to the IDDSI Framework.
The 2 grey sticks test if a drink is Level 1 Slightly Thick. They can also be used to test if a drink is Level 0 Thin.
The 2 pink sticks test if a drink is Level 2 Mildly Thick.
The yellow stick tests if a drink is thick enough for Level 3 Moderately Thick. If the drink is too thick to pour, it’s too thick for Level 3.
Your Assessment Kit comes with the Viscgo Stirrer that has been designed specifically to mix thickening powder into a drink quickly and efficiently.
The sticks can be conveniently stored in the handle of the stirrer.
Your Assessment Kit also comes complete with a handy case to protect your sticks and stirrer. Measuring just 24 cm x 4 cm x 3.5 cm it’s small enough to fit conveniently in your pocket or handbag.
Full instructions on how to use the sticks to quickly, easily and accurately test the thickness of drinks are provided here.
If you want to know how the sticks work, we explain that here.