Tube Feeding in Individuals with Advanced Dementia: A Review of Its Burdens and Perceived Benefits

Background. Dementia remains a growing concern for societies globally, particularly as people now live longer. About 90% of individuals with advanced dementia suffer from eating problems that lead to general health decline and ultimately impacts upon the physical, psychological, and economic wellbei...

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Main Authors: Ezekiel Oluwasayo Ijaopo, Ruth Oluwasolape Ijaopo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-01-01
Series:Journal of Aging Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/7272067
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author Ezekiel Oluwasayo Ijaopo
Ruth Oluwasolape Ijaopo
author_facet Ezekiel Oluwasayo Ijaopo
Ruth Oluwasolape Ijaopo
author_sort Ezekiel Oluwasayo Ijaopo
collection DOAJ
description Background. Dementia remains a growing concern for societies globally, particularly as people now live longer. About 90% of individuals with advanced dementia suffer from eating problems that lead to general health decline and ultimately impacts upon the physical, psychological, and economic wellbeing of the individuals, caregivers, and the wider society. Objective. To evaluate the burdens and perceived benefits of tube feeding in individuals with advanced dementia. Design. Narrative review. Methods. Computerized databases, including PubMed, Embase, Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar were searched from 2000 to 2019 to identify research papers, originally written in or translated into English language, which investigated oral versus tube feeding outcome in individuals with advanced dementia. Results. Over 400 articles were retrieved. After quality assessment and careful review of the identified articles, only those that met the inclusion criteria were included for review. Conclusion. Tube feeding neither stops dementia disease progression nor prevents imminent death. Each decision for feeding tube placement in individuals with advanced dementia should be made on a case-by-case basis and involve a multidisciplinary team comprising experienced physicians, nurses, family surrogates, and the relevant allied health professionals. Careful considerations of the benefit-harm ratio should be discussed and checked with surrogate families if they would be consistent with the wishes of the demented person. Further research is required to establish whether tube feeding of individuals with advanced dementia provides more burdens than benefits or vice-versa and evaluate the impacts on quality of life and survival.
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spelling doaj-art-e65bac7794a6465c8e368e3e8b6f32022025-08-20T02:21:04ZengWileyJournal of Aging Research2090-22042090-22122019-01-01201910.1155/2019/72720677272067Tube Feeding in Individuals with Advanced Dementia: A Review of Its Burdens and Perceived BenefitsEzekiel Oluwasayo Ijaopo0Ruth Oluwasolape Ijaopo1East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust, William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, Kent TN24 0LZ, UKRoyal Stoke University Hospital, Community Haywood Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 7AG, UKBackground. Dementia remains a growing concern for societies globally, particularly as people now live longer. About 90% of individuals with advanced dementia suffer from eating problems that lead to general health decline and ultimately impacts upon the physical, psychological, and economic wellbeing of the individuals, caregivers, and the wider society. Objective. To evaluate the burdens and perceived benefits of tube feeding in individuals with advanced dementia. Design. Narrative review. Methods. Computerized databases, including PubMed, Embase, Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar were searched from 2000 to 2019 to identify research papers, originally written in or translated into English language, which investigated oral versus tube feeding outcome in individuals with advanced dementia. Results. Over 400 articles were retrieved. After quality assessment and careful review of the identified articles, only those that met the inclusion criteria were included for review. Conclusion. Tube feeding neither stops dementia disease progression nor prevents imminent death. Each decision for feeding tube placement in individuals with advanced dementia should be made on a case-by-case basis and involve a multidisciplinary team comprising experienced physicians, nurses, family surrogates, and the relevant allied health professionals. Careful considerations of the benefit-harm ratio should be discussed and checked with surrogate families if they would be consistent with the wishes of the demented person. Further research is required to establish whether tube feeding of individuals with advanced dementia provides more burdens than benefits or vice-versa and evaluate the impacts on quality of life and survival.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/7272067
spellingShingle Ezekiel Oluwasayo Ijaopo
Ruth Oluwasolape Ijaopo
Tube Feeding in Individuals with Advanced Dementia: A Review of Its Burdens and Perceived Benefits
Journal of Aging Research
title Tube Feeding in Individuals with Advanced Dementia: A Review of Its Burdens and Perceived Benefits
title_full Tube Feeding in Individuals with Advanced Dementia: A Review of Its Burdens and Perceived Benefits
title_fullStr Tube Feeding in Individuals with Advanced Dementia: A Review of Its Burdens and Perceived Benefits
title_full_unstemmed Tube Feeding in Individuals with Advanced Dementia: A Review of Its Burdens and Perceived Benefits
title_short Tube Feeding in Individuals with Advanced Dementia: A Review of Its Burdens and Perceived Benefits
title_sort tube feeding in individuals with advanced dementia a review of its burdens and perceived benefits
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/7272067
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