The effect of dysphagia on quality of life of patients with dementia

This study aims to reveal how the quality of life of patients with dementia is affected from their dysphagia. For this purpose, the Quality of Life Scale (QLS) has been adapted. This scale has 20 questions and bases upon verbal interviewing with either an individual or a caregiver (family member, nurse, etc). All of the questions of this scale has been evaluated with the regards to quality of life. Before this, a "Mini Mental Test -two different tests for educated and uneducated patients- was applied to the patients. The patients who got 25 points and up did the scale by themselves. The others' families did the scale on behalf of them. To evaluate the cognitive ability of the patients who got 0 points from the "Mini Mental Test", "Glaskow Coma Scale" was used. In addition to these tests, EAT-10, Mini Nutritional Test and Dysphagia Handicap Index were applied to the patients. The scale and the tests were applied to 75 patients with dementia. According to the findings which were got from QLS and the correlation of it with the other tests, it was seen that the quality of life of the patients with dementia affected from the dysphagia. The effects of dysphagia to the quality of life was statistically argued at the end. Also it was argued how swallowing therapy can increase the quality of the life of the patients with dementia. Key Words: swallowing, dysphagia, dementia, quality of life