Prevention of Weight Loss in Dementia with Comprehensive Nutritional Treatment

Abstract

Body weight can be maintained in residents of SCUs regardless of pacing and other clinical characteristics. The comprehensive intervention of clinical dietitian time and an enhanced menu designed to be individualized for ambulatory people with dementia promoted significant gains in body weight. A minimum 5% weight gain is associated with survival in these residents of SCUs.

Association between Body Mass Index and Cognitive Function among Chinese Nonagenarians/Centenarians

“…The association between low BMI and cognitive function can also be accounted for with weight loss in subjects with dementia [20,21,22], and changes in body composition (resulting in decreased BMI) and dementia were both related with aging [13,14,15,16]. Subjects who were both obese and who had dementia had a high mortality rate [42].…”

“…Increased BMI in middle age as a risk factor for diagnosis of dementia a few decades later [1,2], dementia as a risk factor for weight loss in elderly people [20,21,22], association between aging and cognitive decline, and association between aging and changes in body composition have all been confirmed [13,14,15,16]. From these we can conclude that in the long-lived subjects (aged 90 years or more), there is a close association between BMI and cognitive function, which may be different from that in general older adults (aged 60 years or more).…”

Content Validation of a Standardized Language Diagnosis by Certified Specialists in Gerontological Nutrition

“…Failure to diagnose and treat unintended weight loss leads to increased risk for patient mortality and potential for litigation (19). Dietetics practitioners, including Board-Certified Specialists in Gerontological Nutrition (CSG) (20), identify and treat this nutrition problem in elderly people with outcomes of increased energy, protein, and nutrient intake, weight gain, and improved quality of life (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26).…”

Nutrition and dementia care: Informing dietetic practice

“…• Unintended weight loss [4][5][6][7][8] • Dysphagia, requiring oral nutrition support 31,60 • Palliative 'eating' as appropriate, for example, liquid ice cream, sucking on chocolate buttons 44,46,61 • Provision of oral nutrition support, although this is unlikely to ameliorate weight loss 31,60 (a) The nutrition-related complications of dementia are highly variable and do not always fit within the listed stages of dementia. It is important that dietitians develop interventions that aim to appropriately address complications experienced by the person with dementia in their care.…”

“…• Increasing social engagement through shared meal times 10,57,58 • Increasing the care provided at meal times 10 • Delivering meals at the time of day when the individual appears most cognitively responsive 7 • Reducing or eliminating distractions such as television 7,11,59 • Providing small frequent meals 6,10,60 • Providing finger foods that do not necessitate cutlery, or soft and smooth foods that require less chewing 10,12,54,56,61 • Promoting self-feeding 6,10,60 When providing nutrition care to PWD within the home environment, it is important that dietitians consider the significant feeding-related and time-related burden that family carers experience. 4 As family carers are the main providers of feeding and nutrition support, 5 there is a need for lowburden carer education programs and resources that increase their awareness of possible strategies to trial.…”