Individualized Eating Program Lowers Depression in Dementia Patients
By Traci Pedersen Associate News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on March 3, 2013
Institutionalized dementia patients who received individualized instruction on good eating habits had fewer symptoms of depression six months later, according to a new Taiwanese study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
“The improvement in nutritional status may have led to reduced fatigue and increased vitality,” said the researchers. “Once the participants perceived the improvements in their health, pessimism, the sense of multiple illnesses, hopelessness, or even worthlessness seldom emerged.”
Nutritional status and body mass index increased in patients who received the individualized program, decreased in the control group, and showed little change with the non-individualized program, said the researchers.
Dementia patients often miss out on proper nutrition. As the researchers explained, “identifying foods, transferring foods, chewing, and swallowing” become progressively more difficult for patients with cognitive problems. To keep reading, click here.
