Indications and practice for tube feeding in Japanese geriatricians: Implications of multidisciplinary team approach

Abstract

The results show that approximately half of the geriatricians prescribe tube feeding when the patient has dementia with loss of appetite or apraxia for eating. There is no consensus among Japanese geriatricians about the indication of tube feeding for demented people. We suggest that guidelines for tube feeding in the elderly should be established. Furthermore, a multidisciplinary approach would be desirable for decision making for tube feeding.