The effectiveness of interventions to reduce undernutrition and promote eating in older adults with dementia: a systematic review

Older adults with dementia may have feeding difficulties for several reasons: they may experience deterioration in motor and cognitive skills making eating difficult, they may forget to eat, fail to recognise food or they may suffer from dysphagia. Food intake is often poor and malnutrition is common, leading to adverse health outcomes. This review specifically focussed on how best to promote and achieve 'normal' eating and feeding in older adults with dementia, in order that undernutrition and its consequences could be avoided. The aim was to identify and assess the effectiveness of interventions that encouraged eating and minimised risk of undernutrition in older adults with dementia.