Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate strategies designed to improve nutrition in elderly hospitalised patients with dementia.Design: Observation phase followed by sequential interventions.Setting: A Short stay assessment unit.Participants: Hospital Inpatients with a variety of conditions causing dementia.Interventions: Phase 1: Observation. Phase 2: Encouraging dietary, ‘Grazing’. Phase 3: Using volunteers to feed patients. Phase 4: Improving dining room ambience by playing soothing music.Measurements: Body Mass Index (BMI), mid arm circumference, mini nutrition index and caloric intake by plate waste measurement.Results: BMI fell in the Observation phase 0.6+0.68 kg/m2 (p< 0.001), but increased in each of the Intervention phases. Phase2 0.3+0.86 kg/m2 (p< 0.04), Phase 3 0.37+0.4 kg/m2 (p< 0.04), Phase 4 0.39+0.7 kg/m2 (p< 0.007). Caloric intake increased in the intervention phases.Conclusions: Simple, inexpensive and easy to implement strategies can improve nutrition in hospital inpatients with dementia.
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Wong, A., Burford, S., Wyles, C.L. et al. Evaluation of strategies to improve nutrition in people with dementia in an assessment unit. J Nutr Health Aging 12, 309–312 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02982660
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02982660