Dementia And Nutrition: A Case Study

- Describe how cognitive functional and emotional changes associated with dementia can affect eating drinking and nutrition:

No one wants to lose their mind. But the reality is that the risk of dementia doubles every five years after the age of sixty-five. Is there anything that can be done to prevent this age-related loss of brain function? Are There Ways to Reduce Dementia Through Lifestyle Changes? European researchers analyzed 1,433 people over the age of 65 to determine what lifestyle factors would reduce the risk of dementia the most. After getting a complete medical history on the participants, they tested their cognitive function at intervals over a seven year period. What did they find? According to this research, the two best ways to reduce the risk of dementia is to eliminate diabetes and depression - both of which are dementia risk factors. If both of these factors were eliminated and more people were encouraged to eat fruits and vegetables, the number of new cases of dementia would drop by 21%. There 's some controversy as to whether depression actually increases the risk of dementia - or whether it 's simply an early sign of the disease. This study suggests that depression probably does increase the risk of the disease - and isn 't just a symptom. It 's not surprising that diabetes is a risk factor since it 's associated with insulin resistance. Some studies show insulin resistance increases the risk of dementia. Another way to reduce dementia risk is to encourage people to be literate and educated. This study showed that the number of new cases of dementia would drop by 18% if

Dementia is a very common disorder that is more common in the older population. For people aged 60-69 the dementia rate is 1in 100, but in people over 80 the rate is 1in 6(A.Smith, 2011). Dementia is a terminal illness and the prognosis is grim, suffers are only expected to live 3 to 5 years after diagnosis (A.Smith, 2011). Dementia is divided into three stages early, middle and late. People can be in the late stage for many years. During the late stage the dementia patient suffers from a lot of different issues including but not limited to dysphagia, self-feeding, and eating problems. Nearly 50 percent of patients with dementia lose their ability to self-feed within 8 years after the onset of the disease (S.A. Thomas 2014).We know that malnutrition is a serious problem when it comes to dementia

1.3 Outline how other health and emotional conditions may affect the nutritional needs of an individual with dementia

People who suffer from dementia may also be at risk of mal-nutrition. People with dementia rely on others to help them to organise their day to day life such as preparing their meals. People with dementia are at risk of mal-nutrition as they may not be physically able to provide themselves with a balanced diet, there may also be the issue that they are not able to remember whether they have eaten and therefore decide not to make themselves

A balanced diet is important to people with dementia because if they do not have a nutritional diet then it can worsen their condition. Weight loss, nutritional deficiencies and inadequate fluid intake can all have a negative effect on a person’s dementia. It is the care assistances job to make sure that the individuals get the correct diet they each need.

3 Outline how other health and emotional conditions may affect the nutritional needs of an individuals with dementia.

1) describe how cognitive, functional and emotional changes with dementia can affect eating, drinking and nutrition.

Aging is inevitable, with age comes certain conditions, and diagnoses that affect healthy aging in Canadians. In Canada, and across the world, there are institutions that help care for people with these diagnoses. Nurses are one of the members of the health care team, and they help to try and reduce risks that can exist in aging Canadians. The purpose of this paper is to explore the risks of malnutrition in aging Canadians living in institutions who have vascular dementia.

By creating these small adjustments in the patient’s nutritional care, the patient’s independence and dignity are maintained. The patient, such as a stroke patient in rehabilitation, may also be reluctant to take an active role in their nutritional care so firm encouragement by the carer is needed. The presentation and availability of food and drink must also be assessed to deliver person-centred care (BAPEN REF). Patients may forego food if it looks unappetizing so it is important to serve meals that are visually appealing. Serving appetizing meals may also protect against malnutrition (BAPEN REF). Although protected mealtimes ensure that food and drink is given to every patient with minimal distraction, some patients may become hungry or thirsty in the hours between meals. Making food, like sandwiches or toast, and water available to patients may reduce the risk of malnutrition and dehydration and improve patients’ wellbeing (BAPEN REF). Good nutritional care achieved by person-centred practice means not only reducing risk of malnutrition and fluid imbalance but improving the patient’s quality of life,

1.Cognitive means the affect that dementia has on thinking skills eg memory, understanding etc. Functional is about the ability to perform actions such as feeding themselves. Emotional is about how they feel and react eg confusion can cause distress and aggression. As dementia progresses, eating and drinking can become difficult for some people. This factsheet looks at some of the difficulties that people with dementia may have with eating and drinking, and suggests ways to help.

Dementia is a syndrome, which is usually of a chronic or progressive nature, which causes deterioration in cognitive function. It goes beyond what is expected from normal aging. It causes changes in what you remember, like appointments, or phone numbers. It may cause you to get lost in a familiar setting like driving to the grocery store. You may not be able to balance your checkbook or add up your points in a card game. Communication becomes difficult; as you cannot find the words you want to say. Your personality may change, you may become paranoid, be crabby or short tempered, and you may say or do inappropriate things or laugh when nothing is funny. Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people

Dementia is a condition resulting from obtained brain disease and distinguished by progressive decay in memory and other cognitive fields such as judgment, abstract thinking, language, and executive functioning. This disease is usually caused by degeneration in the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for thoughts, memories, actions, and personality. Death of brain cells in this area leads to the impairments that distinguish dementia. Though the cognitive outline of single diagnosed with dementia vary somewhat by etiology, the degree of deterioration stands for a decrease from previous levels of cognitive functioning and is enough to impede with social and occupational functioning. This downfall is beyond what might be expected from normal aging in a person. It can cause impairment with everyday activities such as dressing, feeding, and bathing.

People with dementia may struggle as their cognitive abilities diminish this may cause a lack of appetite and nutrition, as their dementia gets worse they may stop being able to recognise their food either from reduced sight or how food is presented or unfamiliar food this may cause it to be left and not eaten. Another cognitive issue is they will lose concentration quicker which means they may lose focus half way through a meal or just as starting this may be from tiredness as well or if the food is not easy to eat sometimes finger foods are easier for them to pick up and eat so takes less focus. As the dementia gets worse they may lose motor functions and coordination so struggle to use knives and forks or pick up glasses, or forget to open

The paper will examine and appraise a teaching session that I planned and implemented as a nursing student on a cardiology ward, in the form of a reflection what? So what? Now what? (Bortons, 1970). The aim of the teaching session is to provide up to date and relevant information to enable individuals to make an informed choices on there nutritional intake.