The effect of person-centered care applied to dementia patients on feeding difficulties

Introduction: Patients with dementia experience significant challenges in their feeding processes due to cognitive impairments. As the disease progresses, feeding difficulties increase, raising the risk of malnutrition and weight loss. Physical, psychological, social, and environmental factors further intensify these challenges. Therefore, the implementation of person-centered care for patients with dementia emerges as an approach in managing feeding difficulties. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of person-centred care on feeding difficulties in people with dementia. Method: In the first phase of this study, which combined methodological and experimental research methods, the validity and reliability of the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation for Patients with Dementia (EdFed) scale for dementia patients were examined. Person-centered care was applied to the patients, considering observed feeding difficulties and personal preferences, and the impact of the intervention on the patients' feeding difficulties was evaluated. The methodological phase involved 55 patients. The experimental phase was completed with 52 patients, 26 in the control group and 26 in the experimental group. The patients were assessed using the EdFed Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination, Barthel Index of Activities of Daily Living, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and meal duration was also measured. Person-centered care was applied to the patients in the experimental group, and they were followed for three months. Results: The average age of the patients participating in the study was 76.3 years, the average duration of dementia was 4.5 years, and the dementia stage was moderate in most of the patients. In the first phase of the study, the validity and reliability analyses of the EdFed scale were conducted. The scale was found to exhibit a three-factor structure, with a high reliability coefficient (Cronbach α = 0.87) and excellent inter-rater consistency. In the experimental group, which received person-centered care, a significant decrease in EdFed scale scores (p < 0.001) and a reduction in meal duration (p = 0.006) were observed. Additionally, a significant increase in the MNA score (p < 0.001) and food intake among the patients (p = 0.03) was noted in the experimental group. Conclusion: Person-centered care is an effective method for managing feeding difficulties in dementia patients. These findings suggest that personalized care practices can play a significant role in increasing food intake and improving clinical outcomes.