Hi. My Mum has PSP and we've been told to get her a Provale 10cc cup to limit her drinking as she gulps large amounts and this creates choking.
I've looked at the price of them and 1 cup is £55! My concern is how quickly it will 'get lost' in the nursing home, but will deal with this.
Just wondered if anyone else uses these and has anyone found anything the same but cheaper?
Thanks in advance
Hi Nicole my husband has drinking difficulties so I give him a half full cup at the table but if he is in his armchair I give him a half full babies bottle with large test to drink from. He has eye issues and often misses the table beside him so was a bit messy before I did this. Look around for something suitable as anything from mobility shops is expensive and often doesn't work as well. It's a trial and error really. Best of luck
I don't know how far along your mum is, but I learned from this site an exercise to help the stuff go down.....Tried it on B , and it works! tuck your chin as you swallow. this opens up the throat and strengthens the muscles for better swallowing. also, though it sounds like you are not there always, is to remind them to take short quick sips.....as we are the Queens (or Kings) of Reiteration, We Must Remind them constantly!
AVB
My mums got the same problem while drinking and she was shown the provale cup too. I looked online on a website kapitex.com and found an exactly similar cup called drink rite for £25! It is good and it helps!
You might think this is stuiped but Aunt Bev also gulps quickly I took a soda bottle and poked about 4 holes in the lid so she can drink as long as she wants and is only getting a small amout at a time and here pepsi bottle is only $1.69 it seems to work pretty well for her.
We managed fine without £50 cups! Thick and easy, or similar will help. Cups with sealed tops which allow you to drink through a thick straw are good. That's how we coped. Also, that advice about tucking the chin in definitely is good advice. And yes, the patient needs constant, gentle reminders to reduce the size of the gulp, or mouthful of food. I recall mum trying to get a whole cake in there, in the early stages!
Thanks all, very useful replies. Unfortunately Mum seems to be towards late stages. She is also very stubborn and if she wants to drink the whole cup full at once or put the whole cake in at once she will!! She is in full time care, but is in her room unsupervised for great lengths of time, so I guess the staff/home want to know that if and when they leave her with a drink she wont choke as she is limited in the amounts going into her mouth. I dont mind spending the money as if it makes things safer and more comfortable for her then I'd pay anything. Its the carers and cleaners who will not appreciate the cost and just take it away to the kitchens and god knows where after that.
Anyway I'm waiting to hear from Occupational Therapy too. Thanks all again though xx
Not sure if appropriate to your Mum at her stage, but you can get straws with a valve in the bottom which after the first suck, will keep the straw topped up all the while there is fluid in the glass, cup etc - they can be used in hot and cold drinks. My hubby used to gulp and potentially choke, at least with the straw he cant gulp but can still drink as much as he wants safely. We got ours from the Swallow Test Team but I believe you can get them through the internet. Can't remember the details, sorry, but if you search the forum you should find my original post - think they are called safe straws. All the best
Are you in the UK? If so, the Speech and Language Therapist or Occupational Therapist should be able to suggest something suitable for your Mums stage and also provide it free of charge. The alternative which might help, and this isn't an all round solution it differs from person to person-is a beaker, (baby beaker) as it has small holes to sip. We were advised not to use a straw for my Dad, as it can't regulate the amount he would sip and ended up having choking fits.
Hope that help xx
hi Nicolette ive had two drinking cups from America sorry all you yanks out there but the first one had a crack in it after about 10 months and the second one the rim at the bottom has come away and there is a crack appearing in it as well they natre made of melamine and they were well one was 50 dollars and the second one was 55 dollars I suppose that was dearer because the bottom of it fell off but I am still using it they are a funny shape it looks like a car has run over them but they were a good idea with the shape of them it stops you having to tilt your head back and less chance of you having a fall and supposedly stop you from choking I suppose the cracks are free as I know one day im going to have a hot cup of tea over me did I hear someone say why don't you throw it away then well the answer is I want to get my moneys worth out of it that's 100 dollars I have paid out on a couple of cups good job I did not buy a dinner set mate or else I would have complained that's 4 bottles of scotch I tell you what no wonder the americans were first on the moon you imagine how many poor people buy these cups or mugs with the money they make on them they could go anywhere they liked matey only joking you americans out there with psp and there carers you all are a bloody fine mob of people and ive met a few quite a few on here mate anyway time for me to go now ive probably stirred something up so see yer matey thanks for reading it see yer peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer and the golden cup award originaly I was just going to say I think you are better off with a baby's cup you know the one with the lid on that has holes in the end of it I think they were around when I was born in 1936 but at least they would be cheaper than 55 dollars mate and another thing while in letting off steam here why do the disabled pay so much for an old bed or something to lift us up with or a wheelchair stuff that we need to function see yer all that's my lot for now I hope you get your cup mate after all this
Choking after drinking tea
Thickening drinks
Stopping and starting eating and drinking
Letting drinks dribble out
Drinking alcohol and PSP 
