[Exploration of Eating Difficulties of Patients With Dementia]

The number of people living with dementia is growing as the average age of the population rises. Eating difficulties are a common problem for dementia patients and their caregivers. The etiology of these difficulties is often complicated. Weight loss, poor nutrition, aspiration pneumonia, and associated medical admissions or even mortality may occur as soon as an eating difficulty develops. This paper presents a literature review of the eating difficulties of dementia patients. The process of eating involves four stages: recognizing food, taking food into the mouth, chewing, and swallowing. We discuss the causes and clinical manifestations of eating difficulties at each of these stages and introduce an intervention for overcoming eating difficulties, aiming at providing choices of methods to improve eating behavior. The author hopes that this review will help medical personnel / caregivers enhance their understanding of the etiology and the clinical manifestation of eating difficulties in dementia patients, evaluate the overall condition of their patient(s), and provide an appropriate intervention in order to help these patients experience the most comfortable and non-invasive ways of eating or feeding, improve their quality of eating, and realize with their family improved spiritual well-being.