What should the nurse do to assist a patient who is having difficulty swallowing tablets and capsules?

Question

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If patient has difficulty swallowing,use pill-crushing device to crush.Mix ground tablet in small amount of soft food (custard or applesauce).Large tablets are often difficult to swallow.Ground tablet mixed with palatable soft food is usually easier to swallow.Not all drugs can be crushed (e.g.,capsules,enteric-coated,long-acting/slow-release drugs).The coating of these drugs protects the stomach from irritation or protects the drug from destruction by stomach acids.
Administration of medication with less fluid could make it more difficult for the patient to swallow.Insertion of a nasogastric tube requires an order from the provider.A patient who is having difficulty swallowing may not be safe swallowing large capsules or tablets even one at a time.

What Should the Nurse Do to Assist a Patient Who