Pivi GAK, Bertolucci PHF, Schultz RR. Nutrition in severe dementia.
Curr Gerontol Geriatr Res 2012;
2012:983056. [PMID:
22645608 PMCID:
PMC3356862 DOI:
10.1155/2012/983056]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2011] [Revised: 02/18/2012] [Accepted: 02/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing proportion of older adults with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias are now surviving to more advanced stages of the illness. Advanced dementia is associated with feeding problems, including difficulty in swallowing and respiratory diseases. Patients become incompetent to make decisions. As a result, complex situations may arise in which physicians and families decide whether artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) is likely to be beneficial for the patient. The objective of this paper is to present methods for evaluating the nutritional status of patients with severe dementia as well as measures for the treatment of nutritional disorders, the use of vitamin and mineral supplementation, and indications for ANH and pharmacological therapy.
Collapse