Staff awareness of food and fluid care needs for older people with dementia in residential care: A qualitative study

Abstract

Staff need to be supported to build on their existing knowledge around effective food and fluid care practices. The numerous ideas staff expressed for changing care practices can be leveraged by facilitating staff networking to work and learn together to implement evidence-based change.

Facilitators and barriers to optimizing eating performance among cognitively impaired older adults: A qualitative study of nursing assistants’ perspectives

“…While NAs perceive optimal mealtime care as a priority, they face competing demands and goals during mealtimes (Palmer, Parker, Berlowitz, Snow, & Hartmann, 2018). NAs report lacking knowledge and skills to manage challenging mealtime behaviors and overcome residents’ functional declines through assessment and intervention (Hammar, Swall, & Meranius, 2016; Lea, Goldberg, Price, Tierney, & McInerney, 2017). Current mealtime assistance and staff training programs primarily focus on the use of hand feeding skills, rather than person-centered care approaches including positive engagement, motivation, quality communication, and dyadic interaction to enhance resident participation and eating performance (Batchelor-Murphy et al., 2017; Chen et al., 2016; Liu et al., 2014; Liu, Galik, et al., 2015).…”

“…Qualitative studies have been conducted among staff, families, and residents related to mealtime care in residential care settings. Perspectives on feeding beliefs (Pelletier, 2005), textured food (Austbo Holteng, Froiland, Corbett, & Testad, 2017), person-centered nutritional care (Murphy, Holmes, & Brooks, 2017), awareness of nutritional needs (Lea et al, 2017), and resident choice (Palmer et al, 2017) have been explored in a variety of care staff including nurses, dietary, NAs, administrators, and activity personnel. Perspectives of families and residents have also been explored regarding the mealtime experience (Milte et al, 2017), mealtime ethics (Hammar et al, 2016), and mealtime culture following the transition to residential care (Henkusens, Keller, Dupuis, & Schindel Martin, 2014).…”

Nutritional status and independence in instrumental activities of daily life in the elderly living in nursing homes and community dwellings: A comparative study

“…This could be due to the fact that the MNA and IADL scores are influenced by multiple factors, including elder personal characteristics. The nursing home staff awareness of elderly people dietary requirements is another important factor as emphasized by Lea et al [41] in a study in Australia. It could also be due to the bias of ecologic fallacy inherent in this type of analysis.…”

What is the evidence for the activities of Namaste Care? A rapid assessment review

“…Archibald (2006) suggested prompting people with dementia to drink liquids by making sure there is always a glass of liquid available, and offering a variety of drinks whenever possible. Lea, Goldberg, Price, Tierney, and McInerney (2017) interviewed 11 staff members at one care home to learn more about their views and practices regarding fluid (and food) care. Although data collected for this study was from only one care home and no managers participated, useful information regarding staff perceptions was collected: education is viewed as vital to successful nutrition and hydration of residents, and having a pleasant non-distracting eating environment plus ongoing communication with residents about nutrition and hydration was also found to be critical.…”