Influência das alterações de deglutição no estado nutricional de indivíduos idosos em um abrigo de Salvador - Bahia: um estudo transversal

Abstract

The elderly due to changes in physiology and neurological and degenerative disorders often present swallowing changes, with a significant impairment of their nutritional status, leading to an increased risk of severe malnutrition. Objectives: To know the nutritional status and risk of developing malnutrition and to identify the prevalence of signs and symptoms of swallowing changes reported by elderly residents. Method: A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive study on changes in swallowing. The sample studied was of convenience, represented by 14 individuals in a long-term institution located in a neighborhood in the city of Salvador, Bahia. To identify the signs of swallowing changes, the Eating Assessment Tool swallowing complaints questionnaire was applied and a nutritional risk screening was applied to the Mini Nutritional Assessment. The results were collected between February and August of 2018. Results: On the nutritional status of the institutionalized elderly, a majority of the 57.1% (8/14) were eutrophic, between the sexes, it was found that the men presented greater eutrophy than the women. Regarding swallowing complaints the results showed that 42.9% of the individuals evaluated had swallowing problems, 57.1% of the participants had no swallowing changes. In the sample studied, no patient had severe swallowing complications. Conclusion: Intervention in long-term care homes is essential because of the high number of institutionalized elderly people, presenting swallowing difficulties. It is necessary the presence of a multiprofessional team to evaluate each individual, in order to minimize the impacts of this clinical condition on the nutritional status of these elderly individuals.