George Barnes MS CCC SLP

Home
United States
Rochelle Park, NJ
George Barnes MS CCC SLP

Med SLP specialist in MBSS, trach/vent, and aspiration pneumonia management. Mobile FEES provider. Making Swallowing Simpler

📍Greater NYC 🍎

01/20/2026

If your patient could pull up a chair and tell us her wishes, what would she say about a PEG tube?

For many families, the recommendation for a feeding tube feels like the only way out. But as SLPs, our role is to help the team move past hard rules and see the big picture.

We are not just assessing a swallow; we are advocating for a human being’s right to a comfortable and meaningful life.

Find out how to have better feeding tube conversations with the patient’s family and your team...

Comment “SLP” for the full article. Happy reading!

01/14/2026

Not for everyone. At least we know they aren’t going to try and steal our jobs anytime soon!

How do you keep YOUR radiologists attention? 👇

01/13/2026

We often feel pressured to achieve zero risk, but in dysphagia, this is a fool’s errand.

Trying to eliminate one risk at all costs often creates several more...

🚫 Strict NPO Status: Can lead to reduced swallow frequency, increased bacterial load, and rapid oropharyngeal atrophy.

🍯 Thickened Liquids: Can cause heavy residue that pools in the pharynx, potentially entering the lungs in a form that is much harder to clear than thin liquids.

🥣 Puree: Often leads to patient non-compliance, malnutrition, and failure to thrive.

Risk is inherent in everything we do. You can’t avoid it entirely, but you can reduce and manage it.

Learn how to navigate the emotional twists and turns of dysphagia risk with the patient and their family in my latest article.

Comment “SLP” for full access.

01/09/2026

I know, in January during flu season this would never happen but can’t a man dream?

How’s your Friday going? 👇

01/08/2026

A new study of over 8,000 older adults in the U.S. reveals that non-medical factors in the environment influence who develops dysphagia.

The researchers identified several critical environmental barriers that impact swallow function:

💼 Employment: Older adults unemployed due to health reasons or disability were significantly more likely to report dysphagia.

🍎 Food Insecurity: Those who sometimes worried about food affordability had a higher likelihood of swallowing problems, likely due to nutritional risks and subsequent muscle atrophy.

🏠 Housing: Renting a home was associated with higher reporting of difficulties compared to homeowners—potentially due to environmental hazards like mold that impact respiratory health.

We cannot provide truly comprehensive care if we ignore the social context of our patients’ lives.

A “perfect” exercise or strategy won’t work if the patient doesn’t have a stable place to live or enough food.

As clinicians, we must screen for these invisible barriers and advocate for accessible care for our most vulnerable populations.

How do you incorporate social history or environmental factors into your clinical evaluations? Share your approach👇

Special thanks to The Informed SLP for bringing this research to my attention!

01/06/2026

FALSE…

Imagine this: You hear that wet, gurgly voice after a sip of water, and your heart sinks. The sirens in your head scream: “He’s aspirating!”

But it turns out your clinical ear is only as reliable as a weather forecast in a hurricane.

Wet vocal quality is one of the most cited signs of aspiration in dysphagia literature, often leading to immediate NPO recommendations or strict diet modifications.

But research suggests we might be over-relying on a sign that doesn’t tell the whole story.

🔬🔬🔬

A study by Groves-Wright et al. tested experienced SLPs by playing audio clips of patients’ voices recorded during a VFSS. They wanted to know: can we actually detect material in the larynx just by listening?

Comment “SLP” for a link to the full article. You’re not going to want to miss this one. Enjoy!

12/31/2025

How’s it going for YOU? 👇

12/30/2025

Trial of crumbs (IDSSI 5?) tolerated with sensation of crumbs stuck in their throat (who wouldn’t, right?) improved with liquid wash. Recommend piles of crumbs with thin liquid nearby because apparently that’s all we have.

Anyone else have this problem? 👇

12/23/2025

It’s true.

In the landmark study noted below, oral hygiene came up on top of swallowing in the predictors of aspiration pneumonia.

Be efficient, cut to the chase (or paste), and keep those mouths clean.

It’s the holiday gift that keeps on giving.

Thoughts? 👇

Reference: Langmore SE, Terpenning MS, Schork A, Chen Y, Murray JT, Lopatin D, Loesche WJ. Predictors of aspiration pneumonia: how important is dysphagia? Dysphagia. 1998 Spring;13(2):69-81. doi: 10.1007/PL00009559. PMID: 9513300.

12/19/2025

Advice needed for making this process less awkward. 👇

12/17/2025

What is one of the most dangerous things a patient can aspirate?

Hint: It’s something they’re always swallowing. Even when NPO.

🦠 Dry secretions, often resulting from strict NPO, can be more dangerous than thin liquids.

Why?

They’re stickier and often filled with pathogens.

❌ Strict NPO leads to severe complications like:

1. Xerostomia (dry mouth) and discomfort.

2. Thick secretions and mucus plugging that obstruct the airway.

3. Muscle atrophy of the swallowing mechanism from disuse.

🚫 We must not let the fear of that single, visible cough override our clinical judgment.

Learn more about when NPO is (and isn’t) appropriate and what we can recommend instead in this week’s article.

Comment “SLP” for full access.

12/16/2025

Think dysphagia after bariatric surgery is just a short-term issue?

🤯 Think again.

Studies report symptoms persisting up to 2 years post-surgery—and sometimes longer.

Dysphagia is a common, often underrecognized long-term complication affecting nutrition, healing, and quality of life.

Besides the development of major motility disorders, weight loss can also contribute to sarcopenia.

These issues require specialized care. See how we can help...

Learn more by visiting SwallowStudy.com to review the full article by Dr. Kevin Huffman titled, “Dysphagia After Bariatric Surgery:
Tackling Complications Through IDDSI Integration and SLP Care.”

Address

96 Parkway
Rochelle Park, NJ
07662

Website

https://www.feesibleswallowsolutions.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when George Barnes MS CCC SLP posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Rochelle Park?