Australians aged 65 and older are projected to rise from 15% in 2016 to 19% by 2030. 1 Over 170, 000 adults aged 65 and older live in residential aged care facilities. 2 People living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) are often frail and have medically complex care needs. The average age of RACF residents is 84.5 years. Fifty percent of residents have dementia, 26% have a mental illness but no dementia, and 22% neither have dementia or a mental illness. Twenty-nine percent of male and 18% of female residents have had a stroke, head injury, or acquired brain injury. Fiftyfour percent of residents have a musculoskeletal disorder, 18% have heart disease, 10% have another neurological disorder, and 7% have cancer. 3
Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD). 1,2 Inflammation and altered lipid dyshomeostasis have been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD and VaD. 3 The Mediterranean and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets have been associated with improved cognitive performance and reduced incident risk of dementia. 4 These diets have been associated with reduced plasma lipid levels and lower plasma inflammatory markers. 5 The Mediterranean diet involves regular intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat dairy products, olive oil, fish, poultry, and wine with meat. Similarly, the DASH diet comprises regular intake of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, legumes, nuts, and lower intake of animal proteins and sweets.
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