Nutrition in People with Dementia: What We Know and What We Need to Know to Upskill Those Who Care

Article type: Article Commentary

Authors: Nogueira, Dália^{; *}

Affiliations: ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Dália Nogueira, PhD, ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal. E-mail: dmsnogueira@gmail.com.

Abstract: Feeding and swallowing difficulties and their consequences on the nutritional status of people with dementia have been the subject of recurrent research, albeit strong evidence is still lacking. When a person no longer swallows safely, it is the caregivers who face difficulties of providing adequate care. Therefore, it is important to understand and analyze their perspectives on the topic. Despite the recent development of theoretical models to manage mealtimes and nutrition intake, the participation of health professionals and caregivers in these types of studies are still limited. The study of van Buuren et al., which this commentary refers to, aimed to identify key factors that contribute to the development of a conceptual model to step up nutritional care in dementia.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, nutritional status, theoretical model

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-230970

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 96, no. 1, pp. 193-195, 2023