Eating Behavior of Dementia Patients: A Self-Awareness Model to Understand the Puzzling Eating Behavior of Dementia Patients

Because dementia is an overall decrease in intelligence, the puzzling eating behavior of dementia patients cannot be explained on the basis of individual cognitive impairments alone. Approaching it on the basis of intelligence and the mind as a whole is needed. We have therefore explained the puzzling eating behavior of dementia patients by means of our self-awareness model (composed of “theory of mind,” “self-evaluation,” and “self-consciousness”), which views intelligence and the mind as a whole in the form of self-awareness. We have described a key point in regard to care and a method of continually stimulating the self-awareness of dementia patients. Last, we have reported the results of a large-scale survey in Japan of the effectiveness of gastrogavage for dementia patients and pointed out differences from Western countries.