Prevention of malnutrition among older persons with dementia : an interview study of Cape Town Care Home Nurses’ preventative work

Abstract: Background Malnutrition among older persons with dementia is a common issue due to the consequences of the diagnosis, such as physical hindrances or forgetting to eat. Preventative work, against malnutrition for example, is part of the work responsibility of a registered nurse (Swedish Society of Nursing (SSN, 2011).  Aim The aim was to describe how Cape Town Care home nurses work to identify and prevent malnutrition in older persons with dementia. Method A qualitative method was used with semi structured-interviews conducted with six nurses working at six different care homes in the Cape Town Area. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the interviews.   Result It was found that nurses work differently in their preventative work, depending on the policies of the care home. Some uses assessments for identifying malnutrition while others rely on their capacity of observation. There were no standardized aids used overall on the care homes to ensure quality of the work.   Conclusion It is important to look beyond the diagnosis of dementia in order to work according to a person-centered perspective with the residents wishes and autonomy in focus. To identify risks of malnutrition; identification is key in the preventative work. The nurses used their skills and experience, rather than standardized assessment aids, to observe changes in the residents’ behavior and outlook.