A 75-year-old female with Parkinson's disease is experiencing increasing difficulty swallowing. What could be the cause and next steps?
Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a common complication in later stages of Parkinson's disease due to the progressive impairment of muscular coordination. This can increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia. A swallow evaluation or referral to a speech and swallow therapist should be considered to assess the patient's swallowing function and provide strategies to make swallowing safer and easier.