[A version of this item appears in: Dementia: the Latest Evidence Newsletter (RWHT), Volume 2 Issue 7, February 2012].
Summary
This article examines interventions to establish and maintain adequate nutritional intake in older people with dementia. The problems of inadequate hydration and nutrition, and the interventions available, are often problematic in the later stages of the disease. A literature review identifies 12 articles. Standardised interventions do not emerge, but some approaches appear more successful than others. Further research is needed into maintaining adequate nutrition in older people with dementia. Nurses and nursing assistants need sufficient time and improved training, and heightened vigilance is necessary concerning patients with eating difficulties and sub-optimal food consumption.
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Reference
Cole, D. (2012). Optimising nutrition for older people with dementia. Nursing Standard, January 18th 2012, Vol.26(20), pp.41-48.
