SUSS partners with local restaurants to introduce and expand dysphagia-friendly dining options in Singapore.

 

Chin Chieu Hoye has dysphagia, a condition that affects swallowing, and as a result, it is hard for her to go to a restaurant with her family. Wong Ting Mei shared that it was about two years ago, when her 100-year-old mother had a fall and was diagnosed with dysphagia. She added that these days, cutting food into smaller pieces and getting her to swallow can be difficult and her mother often complains the food is the “same old thing”.

However, this is about to change, all thanks to Singapore University of Social Sciences’ (SUSS) partnership with local restaurants – namely Imperial Treasure (Great World City) and 5 Senses Café & Restaurant – to introduce, and expand dysphagia-friendly dining options in Singapore. While specialised meals and safe-swallowing practices are available in care settings, such options remain limited in mainstream restaurants until now.

In Singapore, an estimated 174,000 individuals older than 65 years are living with dysphagia in the community. This represents 15 percent of the older population. However, beyond older adults, the condition also affects those living with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia, as well as stroke survivors who experience swallowing difficulties as part of their recovery.

There was a two-day pilot at the two restaurants organised under SUSS’ Dignity Dining: Age Better, Age+ Community Engagement Series, and supported by Ngee Ann Kongsi, for caregivers and their loved ones including Ting Mei and Chieu Hoye, and others, to experience how dysphagia-friendly options can be integrated into regular restaurant menus, while maintaining the quality, presentation and dining standards expected of a mainstream restaurant experience. These options are also particularly ideal for those with chewing difficulties.

Since November of last year, SUSS has been working with The Project Futurus, a Hong Kong social enterprise that explores the future of ageing through education, softmeal workshops, community service and advocacy, and the two participating restaurants to co-develop and pilot dysphagia-friendly menu options in mainstream dining settings. Aligned with national efforts such as the EatSafe SG initiative by the Ministry of Health, the pilot promotes safe-swallowing practices through community engagement. Community partners including SG Assist, Vanguard Healthcare, TOUCH Community Services, Society for WINGS, Dementia Alliance International, Dementia Singapore and Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital contributed domain expertise and on-the-ground support.

Beyond the dining floor, SUSS also worked closely with participating restaurant operators on capacity building. This included training for kitchen and frontline staff, co-developing menus and providing practical tools to support soft-meal preparation. These efforts were further guided by the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation (IDDSI) Framework.

Shared Kenny Leung, CEO of Imperial Treasure Restaurant Group, “The concept of inclusive dining was new to me when I was introduced to this last year. As a restaurant operator, the mission for Imperial Treasure has always been to offer authentic and high-quality Chinese cuisine, and for a long time it was our focus to fulfil this mission. So at the beginning, it was a pondering process on how I should align fine dining with soft-meal.

“But through the meetings and interactions with SUSS and The Project Futurus, I was reminded that dining is not only about serving quality food, it is also a venue where families and friends gather and celebrate special occasions, be it festivities, birthdays. More than often family elders, or members with swallowing difficulty are either left out at these important occasions, or families will choose to celebrate at the confinements of their homes.”

He added: “Therefore, the project opened a broader new perspective to me as a restaurant operator, and made us rethink that we are able to contribute to the community in a more meaningful way. Soft-meals shouldn’t be defined as just meals that you have as a patient, but rather, our elderly members and friends should be able to celebrate the joy of dining out and enjoy quality meals together. And through these offering of authentic Chinese delicacies thoughtfully crafted for individuals with chewing and swallowing difficulties, including the older adults, they can continue to savour good food and enjoy their golden years.”

The meal at Imperial Treasure was a seven-course dining experience which consisted of steamed cod fish fillet with minced ginger, stewed beancurd with minced beef, steamed egg white with assorted mushrooms, barbecue pork with honey sauce, mini longevity bun, black sesame glutinous rice dumpling in ginger soup and walnut cream. The food consistency ranged from easy to chew to pureed/soft-meal and liquidised. At 5 Senses Café and Restaurant, the dishes include hor fun with fish cake, Hokkien noodles with fish cake, Hainanese beef noodles, kaya toast, Hainanese chicken rice and braised pork belly bun.

Associate Professor Carol Ma, head of gerontology programmes at SUSS, said “This pilot serves to address a real and growing need and supports ageing in place by expanding inclusive dining options for individuals with dysphagia. SUSS is excited to be partnering with local restaurants for the first time, alongside The Project Futurus and our community partners, to remove barriers that often keep families and friends from dining together. Such initiatives reflect our ongoing commitment to advancing social good through inclusive practices and the co-creation of practical solutions that make every day experiences more accessible to all.”

Ting Mei shared that her mother liked the food served at Imperial Treasure and felt having restaurants serving a more inclusive menu will allow her mother to get to see different surroundings rather than be “cooped up at home”. She mentioned Chieu Hoye‘s birthday is coming soon so maybe the family will be able to come out and have a celebration this time around.

** For those looking to enjoy the inclusive dining options, advance ordering is required at the restaurants.

(** PHOTO CREDIT: Imperial menu by SUSS)