Feeding patients with dementia

Napredovana demenca je ena izmed najpogostejših vzrokov za sprejem starejših ljudi v socialno-varstvene ustanove zaradi daljše življenjske dobe, sodobnega življenjskega sloga in zmanjševanja medgeneracijske povezanosti starejših ljudi s svojci. Starostniki ne morejo kakovostno živeti v svojem prvotnem življenjskem okolju. Diplomsko delo opisuje problematiko demence in v okviru nje posebnosti prehranjevanja pri starostnikih z demenco. V empiričnem delu diplomskega dela smo ugotavljali težave, s katerimi se člani negovalnega tima srečujejo pri hranjenju pacientov z demenco. Raziskava je bila izvedena med člani negovalnega tima v ustanovi Dom starejših Rakičan v aprilu 2011. Rezultati raziskave so pokazali, da so člani negovalnega tima z dolgoletnimi delovnimi izkušnjami v socialno-varstveni ustanovi dobro poučeni o znakih demence. Najpogostejša motnja pri hranjenju starostnikov z demenco je odklanjanje hrane, katere vzrok je največkrat psihološki, vendar podatki kažejo, da obstajajo še drugi vzroki. Pristop k hranjenju starostnikov z demenco je še vedno preveč pavšalen, saj se premalo uporablja individualni pristop k hranjenju. Po mnenju članov negovalnega tima je uporaba nasogastrične sonde v ustanovi redka. Hranjenje po sondi razumejo kot nujno zlo, da lahko etično poskrbijo za primerni prehranski status pacientov v terminalni fazi demence.Progressive dementia is one of the most frequent causes for putting elderly people in social welfare institutions. The reasons are a longer life period, a modern lifestyle and a reduction of intergenerational relationships of elderly people with their close families. Elderly people cannot live a quality life in its natural environment. Thesis describes the problem of dementia and its specific nutrition by elderly people with dementia. In the empirical part of the thesis we have found problems which are members of the care team faced with when feeding patients with dementia. The survey was conducted among members of the nursing team at the Home for the Elderly in Rakičan in April 2011. The results have shown that members of the nursing team with many years of work experience in social security institutions are well informed about the signs of dementia. The most common is eating disorder by older people with dementia, refusal of food, which is mostly a psychological cause, but evidence suggests that there are other causes. The approach to older people with dementia is still too careless because of the lack of an individual approach to eating. According to members of the nursing team the use of nasogastric tube is very rare. Tube feeding is understood as a necessary evil that can ethically provide adequate nutritional status of patients in the terminal phase of dementia