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Multicenter Study
. 2018 Nov 27;18(1):292.
doi: 10.1186/s12877-018-0985-y.

Interventions maintaining eating Independence in nursing home residents: a multicentre qualitative study

Alvisa Palese  1 , Valentina Bressan  2 , Tea Kasa  2 , Marin Meri  2 , Mark Hayter  3 , Roger Watson  3
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Interventions maintaining eating Independence in nursing home residents: a multicentre qualitative study

Alvisa Palese et al. BMC Geriatr. .

Abstract

Background: Despite 32 years of research and 13 reviews published in the field, no intervention can be considered a gold standard for maintaining eating performance among residents with dementia. The study aim was to highlight the interventions derived from tacit knowledge and offered daily in assisting eating by healthcare professionals (HCPs) in nursing homes (NHs).

Method: A multicentre descriptive qualitative study was performed in 2017. Thirteen NHs admitting residents with moderate/severe functional dependence in eating mainly due to dementia, were approached. A purposeful sample of 54 HCPs involved on a daily basis in assisting residents during mealtime were interviewed in 13 focus groups. Data analysis was conducted via qualitative content analysis.

Results: The promotion and maintenance of eating performance for as long as possible is ensured by a set of interventions targeting three levels: (a) environmental, by 'Ritualising the mealtime experience by creating a controlled stimulated environment'; (b) social, by 'Structuring effective mealtime social interactions'; and (c) individual, by 'Individualising eating care' for each resident.

Conclusions: In NHs, the eating decline is juxtaposed with complex interventions regulated on a daily basis and targeting the environment, the social interactions, and the residents' needs. Several interventions that emerged as effective, according to the experience of participants, have never been documented before; while others are in contrast to the evidence documented. This suggests the need for further studies in the field; as no conclusions regarding the best interventions have been established to date.

Keywords: Content analysis; Dementia; Eating assistance, interventions; Elderly; Feeding difficulties; Mealtime difficulties; Nursing home; Perceived effectiveness; Qualitative study; Tacit knowledge.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The Review Board of the reference Health Care Trust approved the study protocol (22 November 2017, prot n. 66,935/2017). Participants were informed of the study purpose, and they were free to participate or withdraw from the study at any time. They were asked to sign the consent form where they also agreed to be audio-recorded. During the data analysis, researchers anonymised the names of both NHs and participants.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Interventions performed at the environmental, social, and individual resident levels aimed at maintaining eating independence in NH residents with dementia
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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