Måltidssituation för patienter med demenssjukdom : En litteraturöversikt

Background: More elderly people suffer from dementia, which means that more people need to be cared for in nursing homes. Dementia has consequences that give cognitive impairment. One of these cognitive impairments affects food intake and can lead to malnutrition. Factors in meal situations need to be investigated, that for customize for everyone and increased food intake. Purpose: was to investigate how different factors can affect meal situations for patients with dementia from the perspective of nurses. Method: A literature review based on seven qualitative articles, two articles with a mixed method and one article with a quantitative method. Results: The results revealed three themes: assistance, sampling and adaptation. To care for patients with dementia, practical knowledge and understanding of meal assistance is needed. Nurses knowledge of hand feeding contributed to an optimal food intake for patients with dementia. An individual strategy for communication between nurses and patients as well as reducing stimuli were aspects which improved food intake for patients. Tradition in the form of a meal produced memories from the previous life, which created a community. Conclusion: Nurses need to create opportunities to individually adapt meal situations based on patients preferences