Related Experiment Videos
Correlates and consequences of eating dependency in institutionalized elderly
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|March 1, 1986
Summary
Institutionalized elderly losing independent eating ability face risks. This loss is linked to mobility, cognition, and swallowing issues, and predicts higher mortality within six months.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Clinical Nutrition
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Loss of independent eating capacity is a significant challenge for institutionalized older adults.
- Factors contributing to the decline in functional eating ability remain under-examined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors associated with the loss of independent eating capacity in institutionalized elderly residents.
- To determine the relationship between eating dependency and mortality within a six-month period.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 240 skilled nursing facility residents.
- Residents stratified into independent and dependent eating status groups based on need for mealtime assistance.
- Data collected via questionnaires, chart review, and physical examinations.
Main Results:
- Eating dependency was not correlated with age or weight loss.
- Significant associations found between eating dependency and impaired mobility, cognition, upper extremity dysfunction, and abnormal oral-motor examinations.
- Modified consistency diets, absence of teeth/dentures, and abnormal swallowing indicators were linked to dependency.
- Eating dependency was associated with increased mortality within six months.
Conclusions:
- Loss of independent eating capacity in the elderly is multifactorial, involving physical, cognitive, and oral health impairments.
- Eating dependency serves as a significant predictor of increased mortality in institutionalized older adults.