Caregivers' roles in preventing patients with severe Alzheimer's disease from becoming distracted during mealtimes: two case reports.
Ketu Ri, Teruo Yokoi, Yayoi Miyoshi and 2 others
PMID 34658511WHAT IT FOUND
Two women with severe Alzheimer's ate better when moved to quiet seats away from noisy caregivers.
Placing utensils in their hands helped them start eating, but loud voices and visual distractions stopped them.
Key findings
01Patients became distracted and stopped eating when exposed to loud voices, staff moving between tables, and other residents' movements.
02Patients finished meals without distraction when seated in quiet areas away from active staff or noisy neighbors.
03Physically placing a spoon or chopsticks in the right hand and a bowl in the left helped initiate self-feeding.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This is a case report of only two individuals, so the findings cannot be generalized to all patients with severe Alzheimer's. The observations were made by a single author who was also assisting with care, which may introduce bias. The 'non-distracted' scenes occurred by chance or were guided by the author, not through a controlled experimental design. The study does not account for other potential factors like food texture, temperature, or the patients' physical conditions (e.g., constipation, sleep patterns) which the authors acknowledge could also influence eating behavior. The patients had lost language skills, so the findings may not apply to those with severe dementia who retain some language abilities.
Declared interests
There are no conflicts of interest declared. The work was funded by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number JP16K12284).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that placing utensils in a patient's hands is sufficient to ensure they eat. In these cases, the patients started eating but often stopped again if the environment remained noisy or visually distracting. The quiet seating arrangement was the key factor in allowing them to finish their meals.