Residents in nursing homes often suffer from several medical conditions, which complicates care and affects their quality of life. Danone Research & Innovation presents results of the 5D study at the Nursing Home Research International Working Group . The 6th edition of the Long Term Care Research meeting takes place in Rome on 13 and 14 September.
5D study
5D stands for: Dependency, Depletion (malnutrition), Dysphagia, Dehydration and Dental problems. The 5D study looked at the link between the 5 Ds in somatic and psychogeriatric nursing home residents. Residents who have problems eating due to (artificial) dental issues and those suffering from dysphagia face a higher risk of malnutrition.
29% of the nursing home residents experienced dryness in the mouth (xerostomia) and chewing problems.
Residents admitted to psychogeriatric wards had increased risk of developing these symptomscompared to residents in somatic wards.
About Nursing Home and Long Term Care Research International Working Group
Clinical research in nursing homes remains scarce. The focus of the Nursing Home and Long Term Care Research International Working Group meeting is to promote research and innovation performed among nursing home residents. Additionally, the meeting provides a platform to learn and share ideas, among international researchers in the field.