Relearning to eat late after a stroke by systematic nursing intervention: a case report

Using a training programme developed by Heimlich, we have attempted to train swallowing in a 78-year-old man who had been fed by a nasogastric tube for 3 years after a stroke. The training was successful and, during a follow-up of 1 year, the patient was eating normal food. The training process is analysed as a two-level communication between the patient and his trainer; the therapeutic relationship and the training programme. The development of the patient's attitudes during training is interpreted with reference to Erikson's theory of 'eight stages of man'.