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Implementation of a nutritional programme in elderly people admitted to resident homes
Author(s) -
Wikby Kerstin,
Ek AnnaChristina,
Christensson Lennart
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of caring sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.678
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1471-6712
pISSN - 0283-9318
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2008.00632.x
Subject(s) - medicine , anthropometry , cognition , physical therapy , gerontology , malnutrition , activities of daily living , energy expenditure , motor function , physical medicine and rehabilitation , psychiatry
Aim: The aim was to test the hypothesis that education provided to staff regarding nutritional needs and individualizing nutritional care will improve the nutritional status and functional capacity of elderly people newly admitted to resident homes. Design: Pre‐ and posttest, quasi experimental. Setting: Resident homes. Subjects: Sixty‐two residents (20 men, 42 women) in the experimental group and 53 (14 men, 39 women) in the control group were consecutively included. Mean age was 85 years. Methods: On admission and after 4 months, nutritional status was assessed using a combination of anthropometry (weight index, arm muscle circumference and triceps skinfold thickness) and biochemical measurements (serum albumin and transthyretin). Functional capacity and overall cognitive function were also assessed. In the experimental unit, the staff received education about nutritional needs and individualized nutritional care. Results: After 4 months the number of residents assessed as protein energy malnourished decreased from 20 to seven in the experimental (p = 0.004), and from 17 to 10 in the control group (p = 0.1). In the experimental group, motor activity (p = 0.006) and cognitive function (p = 0.02) increased. In the control group, motor activity decreased (p = 0.02). Conclusions: The results indicate that the intervention had effects, as the number of protein energy malnourished residents decreased in the experimental group and motor activity and cognitive function improved. No such improvements were seen in the control group.