Strategies that enforce and increase the nutritional intake of patients with advanced dementia in nursing homes and a nurse's role in implementing these strategies

By

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

No words can express my appreciation and gratitude to my research advisor _______ through the course of this research, Professor _____has taught me numerous values that extend well beyond the realm of _________ (Your Subject Name). His emphasis on dedication to work and his valuable and practical insights of life are some of the major highlights of my education at The University _________. To Professor _____, I say with great respect, thank you very much.

It is a great honour for me to have Professor _______ on my dissertation committee. His insightful suggestions and comments are a major asset to this research. I learned so much from Professor ______, and I will always remember him as a truly superb teacher. To Professor _____, I am greatly indebted.

I would like to thank Professor ______ for his contribution to this research. Professor _____ has provided me with essential input and guidance as an outside member of my committee. His remarks and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I would like to thank _____________ for the support they had provided me throughout the research project.

I would like to thank _____________ for their support and help in this research.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for the academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

ABSTRACT

Poor nutrition in older adults has been a subject of concern in health care. Numerous problems associated with normal aging, as well as losses of function related to disease processes, interfere with the ability of older adults as a group to maintain adequate nutrition. The older adults who live in nursing homes are especially predisposed to poor nutritional intake. Furthermore, nursing home residents with dementia are faced with an overwhelming task. They are challenged to maintain nutrition while attempting to accommodate to age related deficits in the presence of dementia. The dementia, in effect, impedes their ability to engage in any adaptation to changes, internal or external to themselves. The research is based on secondary data collection. The data is extracted from various journals, articles and books. Secondary research describes information gathered through literature, publications, broadcast media, and other nonhuman sources. This type of research does not involve human subjects. The deterioration of functional abilities or the functional impairment of daily living is a predominant feature in dementia. The assessment and quantification of the decline in activities of daily living assist clinicians in diagnosis and determination of the severity or stage of the disease. Functional assessment is useful as well for assessing response to treatment by drugs used to delay progression, as one of the main goals of treatment is slowing the progression of functional impairment or decline in activities of daily ...