[Malnutrition and dementia: importance of care during food intake]. / Malnutrizione e demenza: importanza di una corretta assistenza durante il pasto.

ABSTRACT

Aim of this work is to assess the effects on nutritional status of appropriate care in food intake in demented patients. In a long term care in Turin, we enrolled 96 patients aged 75-103 years free from metabolic, hematologic and neoplastic diseases and not showing signs of acute illness. Seventy seven of these patients were affected by dementia. No statistically significant differences were found between demented patients and controls in nutritional status and daily nutrient intake and only need for care in food intake was independently associated with dementia. Our data demonstrate that similar caloric intakes can be obtained in demented and non demented patients with an appropriate level of care in food intake.