Martina Tomagová, Ivana Bóriková, Alžbeta Jelšovková
Comenius University in Bratislava, Jessenius Medical Faculty in Martin, Department of Nursing
TOMAGOVÁ, M. – BÓRIKOVÁ, I. – JELŠOVKOVÁ, A. Nutrition of patients with dementia in facility of social care. In Ošetrovateľstvo: teória, výskum, vzdelávanie [online], 2015, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 61-67. Available on: https://www.osetrovatelstvo.eu/en/archive/2015-volume-5/number-2/nutrition-of-patients-with-dementia-in-facility-of-social-care.
Objective: The aim of the descriptive qualitative study is to describe the some problems with eating and nutrition of seniors with dementia in social care facilities.
Methodology and sample: The collection of empirical data we realized by structured method of participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, content analysis of medical records of patients and as the method of data collection we used a measuring tool Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA®). The study was realized in facility of social care for senior services. Based on the intentional selection we included in study five patients with dementia, with preserved oral intake of food.
Results: Empirical data about patients we present in the form of descriptive case studies. All patients had a deficit in self-care during eating and needed some help. We observed several behavioral disorders of patients during eating and we recorded also problems with swallowing. Screening by MNA® detected the disorder of nutritional status – malnutrition in all patients.
Conclusions: Several research studies show on important fact in practice, this issue does not pay sufficient attention. Screening failures in nutrition is the basis for complex interdisciplinary interventions to prevent the development of disorders in nutrition, slowing their development, targeted treatment, prevention of secondary complications resulting from malnutrition.
Keywords: senior, dementia, nutrition, malnutrition, screening, social care facilities
doc. Mgr. Martina Tomagová, PhD.
Ústav ošetrovateľstva, JLF UK
Malá Hora 5
036 01 Martin
Slovensko
E-mail: tomagova@jfmed.uniba.sk
Received: 4th May 2015
Accepted: 8th July 2015