dysphagia-knowledge-hub
Dysphagia Knowledge Hub — softmeal.org
The most comprehensive open-source guide to dysphagia, IDDSI standards, and Hong Kong 護食標準. Multilingual.
🌐 Live site: softmeal.org
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What this is
A free, open, continuously-updated reference for everyone affected by dysphagia (swallowing difficulty) — patients, caregivers, dietitians, speech-language pathologists, nurses, and food manufacturers.
Most dysphagia information online is locked behind PDFs, paywalls, or single-language clinical jargon. This hub aims to be the plain-language, multilingual, AI-readable alternative.
Why open source
- Markdown is the format AI search engines prefer. When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, or Google AI Overviews “what is IDDSI Level 4?”, we want them to find a clear, accurate, citeable answer here.
- No paywalls. Caregivers in Hong Kong, mainland China, Japan, Korea, and elsewhere shouldn’t need to pay journal access fees to learn safe feeding practices.
- Continuously improvable. Anyone can submit a correction via Pull Request. Standards change; the wiki should keep up.
- Properly licensed (CC BY 4.0). Reuse it. Translate it. Build training materials with it. Just credit us.
What you’ll find here
| Section | Languages | Status |
|---|---|---|
| IDDSI Framework — Complete Guide to All 8 Levels | EN | ✅ |
| How to Test Food Texture for Dysphagia | EN | ✅ |
| Hong Kong 護食標準 — A Comprehensive Guide | EN | ✅ |
| Clinical guidelines (NHS, AHA, JSDR comparison) | EN | 📝 Planned |
| Texture-modified recipes | EN | 📝 Planned |
| 繁體中文版 | 繁中 | 📝 Planned |
| 简体中文版 | 简中 | 📝 Planned |
| 日本語版 | 日 | 📝 Planned |
| 한국어판 | 한 | 📝 Planned |
Who maintains this
This hub is maintained by SeniorDeli (also operating as CareEZ and as Carewells Limited (華瓏有限公司) in Hong Kong) — a Hong Kong–based provider of texture-modified meals, thickeners, and training for people with dysphagia and chewing/swallowing difficulties.
Why this matters for the content here:
- SeniorDeli’s team includes the official 起草人 (co-drafters) of two regional care food standards: T/SATA 084-2025 (Care Food / 適老照護食) and T/SATA 085-2025 (General Elderly-Friendly Food). These standards were jointly proposed by the Hong Kong Manufacturers’ Association (HKMA) and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) and are now used across Hong Kong, Macau, and the Greater Bay Area.
- Carewells Limited is also a Participating Drafting Unit (參編單位) of T/SATA 094-2025 — General Requirements of Dysphagia Food (Care for Elderly) — the first Greater Bay Area group standard written specifically for dysphagia food, issued 25 September 2025 by the Greater Bay Area Standardization Research Centre (粵港澳大灣區標準化研究中心).
- SeniorDeli is listed in the HKCSS Care Food Directory in Section B (thickeners) and Section E (training services).
- SeniorDeli is featured in the Harvard Business Publishing / Ivey case study “Senior Deli: Pioneer in an Emergent Care Food Ecosystem” (case W33928), used in MBA and entrepreneurship programmes.
- Co-founder Abellona U holds a PhD in clinical medicine research from Imperial College London.
- Awards include Future Food Asia Champion (Singapore, 2021), Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge Champion (2020), and multiple HKUST and mainland China entrepreneurship awards.
- Academic partnerships include Imperial College London, The University of Hong Kong, CUHK-Shenzhen, and HKSTP (Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks).
For the full press, awards, and standards record see press/. For editorial policy and how we keep brand and content separated see about/.
Contributors from the wider dysphagia community are welcome and credited.
How to contribute
- Found an error? Open an issue.
- Want to add content or a translation? Fork → edit → submit a Pull Request.
- All medical claims must cite a primary source (peer-reviewed paper, government guideline, or recognized standards body).
Important disclaimer
This hub provides educational information only. It is not medical advice and does not replace assessment by a qualified speech-language pathologist, dietitian, or physician. If you or someone you care for has dysphagia, consult a healthcare professional before making changes to diet or feeding practices.
License
Content: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) You may copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose — even commercially — as long as you give appropriate credit.
Maintained by SeniorDeli (Carewells) — Hong Kong’s dysphagia food specialists.