WHAT INTERVENTIONS ARE EFFECTIVE FOR MANAGING MALNUTRITION IN PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA?

Introduction: The aim and objectives of this systematic research and analysis of the literature are to evaluate the effectiveness of malnutrition interventions that are presently offered for dementia patients and to identify the currently known direct and indirect interventions to manage malnutrition in people with dementia. Dementia can be defined as the loss of cognitive functioning, remembering, thinking, and behavioural abilities to such an extent that it beginsto interfere with the routine activities of a person. The functions that can be impaired include memory, visual perception, language skills, self-management, problem-solving, and the ability to focus and pay attention. Malnutrition among dementia patients is an important issue. In general, weight loss associated with malnutrition often precedes the onset of dementia and then increases in pace with the progression of the disease. Some people with dementia cannot control their emotions, and their personalities may change. Moreover, this research also evaluates the effectiveness of interventions for managing malnutrition in people with dementia.Research question: what are the common interventions used for treating malnutrition among dementia patients.What are the currently known direct and indirect interventions to manage malnutrition in people with dementia? What is the effectiveness of interventions for managing malnutrition in people with dementia? Methods: In this research, we will use thematic analysis to find out themes from research papers on interventions related to malnutrition of dementia patients. This study has a clear aim to identify the effectiveness of malnutrition interventions that are presently offered for dementia patients. In this research, we will use the strategy of content analysis. For doing content analysis, we have selected 10 recent pieces of research. All selected researches are on the theme of interventions for treating malnutrition among dementia patients. Results: Findings revealed that family support, music, educational training, and supplement are widely used for the treatment of malnutrition in patients of dementia. The study also revealed that currently, the most effective and frequently used treatment for the malnutrition in people with dementia is the use of supplements. In the end, this study also shed light on the effectiveness of all availabletreatments of dementia. Findings revealed that all these strategies are widely used with dementia patients for managing the issue ofmalnutrition among them. This literature review is the first systematic and quantitative overview discussing the effects of malnutrition in people with dementia and the interventions that can be taken in this regard to compensate for malnutrition in these people. This research has a strong implication in the field of medical science.