Resident and Family Perspectives on Communal Dining in the Nursing Home

Meals beyond the bedside: An ethnographic exploration of staffs' perspectives and experiences of communal dining in subacute care

“…We found that staff valued how communal dining provided psychosocial and physiological benefits for patients, such as socialization, and increased food intake and mobilization. These beliefs reflect those of patients/residents and their families in previous research, demonstrating a shared understanding of the importance of communal dining for patient/resident outcomes (Baptiste et al, 2014; Lee et al, 2020). Staff placed particular emphasis on the benefits of socialization and the sharing of experiences over meals, describing how this supported patients' adjustment to the hospital environment and their recovery.…”

“…Studies have elucidated multiple benefits of patients/residents dining in a group environment, including increased nutritional intake, reduced risk of malnutrition, and increased socialization (Markovski, Nenov, Ottaway, & Skinner, 2017; Nijs et al, 2006). Research has also explored the patient/resident perspective, identifying preference for communal dining and the factors that influence this (Baptiste et al, 2014; Lee et al, 2020). Despite this, dining rooms may be underutilized in practice (Walton et al, 2013; Wright et al, 2006).…”

“…Studies by Wright et al (2006) and J. S. A. Edwards and Hartwell (2004) in acute medical wards also showed significantly higher energy intake when eating in a dining room compared to the bedside. Furthermore, nursing home residents who had meals in the dining room were found to have reduced risk of weight loss and depression compared to those who dined by the bedside (Lee et al, 2020).…”