Has anyone used thickeners for liquids? My husband is being released from skilled nursing after having aspiration pneumonia.

I used Thick & Easy to thicken liquids for my grandmother so she would at least be able to drink with out choking. You can start out with just a small about in a liquid drink and adjust as needed.
I also used it for my Aunt with Dementia after she had surgery until her mind adjusted to eating and drinking again.

Thank you .

Water was actually one of the first things we had to thicken, mom would choke and it came out her nose!
We used ThickenUp because that's what was most easily available. I liked the clear formula with xanthan gum the best, although it seems more expensive than the regular formula you need less so it evens out. Drinking through a straw made the texture more acceptable.
It can be hard to adjust to the added daily cost though so I was always looking at ways to thicken without it - depending on how thick you need it some fruit and veg juices are naturally nectar thick, or you can try whizzing them up into a smoothie. Soups can be thickened with flour or cornstarch or just thickened with a stick blender.

I used ThickIt for my Husband.
And ...side note here if a liquid NEEDS to be thickened to prevent aspiration then ALL liquids would need the same thickening to prevent aspiration. A person can aspirate water just as easily as tea, coffee, juice or broth.
We went from slightly thickened to pudding thick over the course of a year or so.
Side note here as well...
MiriLax added to a thickened liquid will thin out the product so if you have to use a product like MiriLax add it to a already thick item like cream of wheat, pudding, very thick soup.
A spoon used to feed someone a thickened product will transfer saliva back and the saliva will eventually begin to breakdown what is in the cup of bowl so serve smaller portions. You can make and thicken something in advance just use a clean spoon to transfer it to a feeding bowl or cup.

Who told you a victim of aspiration could drink water without thickener....someone needs to bang them upside the head!

Aspiration is inhaling liquid into the lungs. ANY LIQUID

my Mom suffered from this for about 3 months. She did recover. Most do. I used the thickener in everything. She hated the taste and feel of it. Stopped drinking coffee because of that. I never tried it, so I cannot attest to the taste, but I get the willies thinking about some gel/slime going down my throat.