Sheiladen Aquino
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Award Winner – NHS Wales Timely Care Award, NHS Wales Awards 2025
Watch Sheiladen talk about her project.
Difficulties with Swallowing (Dysphagia), is significantly prevalent in institutionalized elderly patients where at least 51% of residents are affected on a daily basis. Current research shows that post intubation due to Covid-19 and long-covid symptoms places patients at high risk of dysphagia and may exacerbate existing dysphagia symptoms that can lead to aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and non-compliance with oral medication resulting in increased hospital admission and reduced quality of life for care home residents.
The Project:
This project trialed a new collaborative model of providing care using a remote telehealth digital solution. It explored a new integrated way of working between three specialist allied health services: Speech & Language Therapy, Dietetics and Nutrition, and Pharmacy. It aimed to develop a single point of referral to eliminate bureaucracy and multiple waitlists.
Project Aims and Objectives:
The project used quintuple aims to ensure that the proposed service improvement is based on the latest internationally recognised health and care improvement framework.
Aim 1: To improve individual care experiences by reducing waiting times and receiving seamless, integrated care from multiple professionals.
Aim 2: To improve clinical outcomes using standardized therapy outcome measures for three.
Aim 3: To evaluate costs reduction or cost-neutral opportunities in using the novel intervention.
Aim 4: To report workforce wellbeing from interviews and workforce-reported outcome measures when using this new model.
Aim 5: To assess equity of care to elderly residents in care homes with complex and chronic health issues when using digital technology.
Project Outcomes:
- Improved resident’s experience as waiting times reduced by 75%.
- Improved quality of life outcomes
- Potential savings of £48,647.37pa
- 85% of referrals completed care using telehealth.
- Improved workforce confidence and wellbeing.
Project Impact:
- Improved experience and clinical outcomes for care home residents.
- Increase NHS capacity: In a year, additional 66 hospital bed days are released and community staff can see 50 more clients.
- Greener planet: saved 1.12T of Co2.
- Improved workforce confidence and wellbeing with potential implications for recruitment and retention.
- Provided a model on how to use technology to provide equitable patient centered care.
