This study surveyed the difference in views on oral intake in gastrostomy patients, their families and care managers.

　The study population consisted of 44 pairs of gastrostomy patients（23 males and 21 females, mean age 79.0 ± 10.4 years）and their care managers, who lived in six cities in the Southern North-Tama Medical District in Tokyo, and responded to the questionnaire survey. The survey consisted of questions regarding patientsʼ general condition, severity of dementia, status of oral intake, status of receiving social services, and views of patients, their families and care managers concerning oral intake.

　An analysis of patientsʼ wish to resume oral intake, by underlying disease for which gastrostomy was performed, showed that significantly more patients, families and care managers in the intractable neurological disease group wished to resume oral intake, as compared to other disease groups（p＜0.05）. In the non-oral intake and unable to express their will group, a significant difference in views was observed between patientsʼ families and care managers（p＜0.05）.

　The results of the study revealed that even if patients and their families wish to resume oral intake, their needs may not be recognized by their care managers due to a difference in views between patients/families and care managers. The signs observed in the oral intake group may possibly be used as indicators for evaluating the feasibility of oral intake.

　The results showed that it is important for care managers to survey and understand gastrostomy patientsʼ and their familiesʼ views on oral intake for assessing the resumption of oral intake.