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New Method Improves Eating Skills, Nutritional Status of Patients With Dementia SHEFFIELD, United Kingdom -- January 28, 2010 -- A pioneering international study has shown for the first time that it is possible to improve the eating skills and nutritional status of older people with dementia. The study, which was published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, tested 2 separate intervention methods to assess the eating patterns of patients with dementia in Taiwan. Loss of memory and problems with judgment in dementia patients can cause difficulties in relation to eating and nutrition. Poor eating habits in patients have been associated with poor quality of life and can lead to pressure ulcers and infections. “Nutritional problems of older people with dementia are dangerous for the person with dementia, distressing for friends and relatives and very hard to treat,” said lead author Li-Chan Lin, MD, formerly with the University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom, now with the National Yang-Min University in Taipei, Taiwan. “This is just a start, but the study demonstrates that something can be done and it lays the foundation for a promising line of enquiry.” The single evaluator, blinded, randomised study used 2 different step-by-step training programmes to help older people with dementia regain eating skills. The methods were then compared with no intervention. A total of 85 residents with dementia were chosen from 3 special care units for residents with dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan. Patients were randomised into 3 groups: spaced retrieval, Montessori-based activities, and a control group. The invention consisted of three 30 to 40 minute sessions per week, for 8 weeks. Patients were tested using a range of measures including the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia score and the Mini-Nutritional Assessment. Results showed that both methods of intervention reduced their difficulty feeding score and improved their nutritional assessment when compared with no intervention. “A longitudinal study to follow the long-term effects of spaced retrieval and Montessori-based activities on eating ability and nutritional status is recommended,” the authors wrote. SOURCE: University of Sheffield E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version