What should you monitor and report during a resident's meal for signs of choking or aspiration?

• A. Observe for coughing, throat clearing, changes in voice or color, inability to swallow; stop feeding, notify nurse, keep resident upright, document.
• B. Continue feeding if any coughing occurs.
• C. Only note signs after the meal is finished.
• D. Ignore subtle signs and proceed.

Answer: (A)

Monitoring during meals focuses on catching early signs that food or liquid may be entering the airway. Watch for coughing, throat clearing, a change in voice quality (such as a wet or gurgly voice), color changes (like pallor or turning blue), and an inability to swallow. If any of these occur, stop the feeding immediately and notify the nurse so they can assess and intervene. Keep the resident upright to reduce the risk of further aspiration and document what happened and the signs you observed so the care team can adjust the plan if needed. Continuing to feed through coughing, waiting to note signs until after the meal, or ignoring subtle signs can allow choking or aspiration to worsen and lead to serious complications.