'I can't eat out because I have difficulty swallowing food'

A "hidden community" of people with medical conditions that make it difficult to swallow needs restaurants to provide food suitable for them, a charity has said.

Making Space invited 20 people with dysphagia to a lunch at Doncaster Racecourse this week where they were served texture-modified and pureed meals prepared by Wiltshire Farm Foods.

Around four million people in the UK have dysphagia, and many of them also suffer from dementia.

Some of them told the BBC that they were unable to eat out because of the lack of options on menus.

Malcolm Tomlinson, 78, from Armthorpe, has Alzheimer's and oesophageal cancer, and does not eat out because restaurants don't cater to his dietary requirements.

His daughter, Amanda Tomlinson, said it was difficult to find anywhere that offered food he could swallow safely.

"He still thinks he can eat normal food but he can't. He'll eat chips then they get stuck and he'll have run to the bathroom to vomit them up," she said.

Like many people with dementia, Mr Tomlinson, who played semi-professional football as a young man, can forget he has swallowing difficulties and that certain foods can present choking hazards, said Lydia Woodall, community services manager at Making Space.

"Dysphagia is not one of the main things discussed as part of dementia," she said.

"Having specially prepared soft food gives people dignity and independence and can allow them to participate in wider society and alleviate isolation."

She added that it was important the meals tasted and looked like popular dishes the diners could remember enjoying.

Wiltshire Farm Foods' retail sales operations manager, Chris Davies, said the meals chosen for the lunch were coloured and "moulded" accordingly.

"It gives dignity, and the opportunity for people to eat with other people," he said.

The meals also provide much-needed nutrition, Mr Davies added.

Weight loss and malnutrition can be a common side effect of dysphagia.

Also attending the lunch was Rosemary Stephen from the We Are All One support group for carers in Doncaster.

Speaking about her meal, she said: "It's soft but doesn't lose its shape or colour, which is important because eating soothes your eyes and stomach."

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