ESPEN 2012 - Late breaking abstract submission

Topic: Late Breaking Abstract

Abs n°:ESPEN12-1932

Abs Title: ASSISTANCE AND LOSS OF AUTONOMY IN FOOD MANAGEMENT: WHAT CONSEQUENCES FOR THE ELDERLY?

C. Créma ^1,*I. Maître ²M. Amand ³N. Bailly ⁴V. Van Wymelbeke ¹

¹Geriatric Research , Center University Hospital , Dijon Cedex, ²ESA group, Angers, ³ONIRIS, Nantes, ⁴François Rabelais University , Tours, France

Rationale: The aim is to highlight the links between the implementation of assistance on the food domain and the elderly quality of life with regard to mobility, nutritional scores, pathologies and self-esteem.

Methods: This work was conducted through a large French survey, AUPALESENS project, which investigated sociological, nutritional and psychological aspects. This survey contains a broad analysis at various levels in 559 people aged over 65 years old. These individuals were classified into six categories: people living at home (Cat.A autonomously, Cat.B with an “unnecessary” assistance, Cat.C with a necessary assistance, Cat.D with assistance for food supply, Cat.E with assistance for meal preparation or with meal delivery) and people living in nursing home (Cat.F).

Results: The progressive implementation of assistance is correlated with a significant increase in the number of pathologies (2.3±1.6 in cat.A to 4.1±2.1 in cat.F), a significant decline of the Short Physical Performance Battery's score (/12) from 10.9±1.5 in cat.A to 5.3±3.6 in cat.F, a deterioration of the Mini Nutritional Assessment’s score (/30) from 27.6±1.8 in cat.A to 23.4±3.1 in cat.F, a decrease of self-esteem (/40) particularly for individuals from cat. D (30.7±6.4) contrary to individuals from cat.C (33.8±5.8), a decrease of meal pleasure (/20) for individuals from cat.E (15.8±3.1) who have an assistance for meal preparation or meal delivery compared with individuals from cat.A (16.9±2.6) who live autonomously.

Conclusion: At home, the assistance to the elderly is often an escapable stage, but which does not seem to be suited to their needs today. Indeed, people with assistance for meal preparation or meal delivery (cf. Cat.E) are the most affected by a decrease in meal pleasure.

The implementation of assistance on the food domain and particularly on food supply (cf. Cat.D) appears to be an important marker of frailty in the elderly.

Disclosure of Interest: None Declared

Keywords: Elderly, assistance, nutrition, sociology