George Barnes MS CCC SLP

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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 🍎

01/28/2026

Nice try! What are three things you CAN confirm at the bedside. Go 👇

01/26/2026

My patient won’t stop coughing—is it their swallow?

We see it daily: a patient has an endless cough, and the primary goal is to rule out aspiration.

But if that cough persists both during and outside of mealtimes, you aren’t looking at a swallowing disorder—you’re likely looking at a refractory chronic cough.

Think of it as a hypersensitive laryngeal “alarm system” that has lost its calibration.

Instead of more inhalers or restrictive diet modifications, these patients often need Behavioral Cough-Suppression Therapy.

This approach addresses the complex interplay of laryngeal irritation and nervous system sensitivity.

Want to learn more? Comment “SLP” for this week’s article.

01/21/2026

Only took 15 reminders and 3 threats. Not bad…

Tips for facilitating instrumental studies when the admin/MD pushes back please! 👇

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? 👇

Address

96 Parkway
Rochelle Park, NJ
07662

Website

https://www.feesibleswallowsolutions.com/

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