1997 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 69-78
The purpose of this study is to investigate feeding difficulties in elderly patients with dementia and the factors affecting these difficulties, and to describe the perspectives of care. A questionnaire survey was conducted in September 1994 on feeding difficulties experienced by 30 nurses working in a geriatric hospital in Sapporo in their care of 60 patients over 65 years old. Survey data on 48 dementia patients of the 60 patients with feeding difficulties were analyzed. The following results were obtained: 1) Feeding difficulties in elderly patients with dementia were classified into three items: difficulties in hand movement for eating, disorder of eating rhythm and choking. 2) Difficulties in hand movement for eating were related to the severity of dementia and functional disorder of the hand used for eating. Among these difficulties, movement taking food from the plate were correlated with the severity of dementia, sitting posture and the shape of food. 3) Disorder in eating rhythm such as interruption of feeding was mainly seen in actions by the patient during feeding; e. g., turning his/her head away while being fed, refusing to open his/ her mouth, refusing to swallow food, and stopping hand movement. 4) Choking was strongly related to the shape of food, the severity of dementia and sitting posture. This study shows that many of the factors involved in feeding difficulties in elderly patients with dementia are related to the type of care given and that these feeding difficulties can be partially resolved by providing appropriate care that takes into account the characteristics of feeding difficulties in elderly patients with dementia.
