A Study on the Nutrient Intakes of Hospitalized Elderly Dementia Patients Receiving a Regular Diet

The purpose of the present study was to examine the nutrient intake status of elderly dementia patients. We surveyed the dietary intake of 50 demented elderly patients receiving a regular diet, who were hospitalized in a geriatric hospital in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do. The average age of the subjects was $79.6{\pm}6.5$ for the males and $80.5{\pm}6.3$ for the females. The average heights were $169.5{\pm}6.0\;cm$ (males) and $154.6{\pm}5.2\;cm$ (females), and the average weights were $58.5{\pm}7.4$ (males) and $51.7{\pm}8.9\;kg$ (females). Depending on the type of dementia, the male patients showed significant differences in their intakes of vegetable protein, fiber, total iron, and non-heme iron between the Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the vascular dementia (VD) groups, and the female patients showed significant differences in their intakes of total protein, phosphorus, zinc, and vitamin $B_6$ between the two groups. The male patients showed significant differences in their intakes of animal-source calcium and carotene according to ability to self-feed. According to physical activity, the male patients showed significant differences in vegetable fat and vitamin A intake, and the females showed significant differences in their intakes of total protein, animal protein, fiber, ash, total calcium, vegetable-source calcium, animal-source calcium, phosphorous, total iron, non-heme iron, heme iron, sodium, vitamins $B_1$, $B_2$, $B_6$, niacin, vitamin C, folate, and potassium. We found that the patients consumed excessive protein, but low amounts of calcium, vitamin $B_2$, and folate. Also, the patients' physical activity abilities appeared to affect their nutrient intakes.