What would you like for lunch? An exploration of resident experiences and understanding of nutrition
Tracks
Federation Ballroom
Diet / Nutrition
Future Directions
Weight Management
Wellness / Well Being
| Thursday, November 14, 2024 |
| 1:30 PM - 1:45 PM |
Speaker
Dr Marie-Claire O'Shea
Senior Lecturer
Griffith University
What would you like for lunch? An exploration of resident experiences and understanding of nutrition
Abstract
Introduction: Malnutrition in residential aged care facilities was identified as a significant concern in the 2021 Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Addressing malnutrition in residential aged care facilities is challenging due to the multi-faceted nature of the issue. A barrier to implementing nutrition intervention is the lack of engagement with residents to co-create effective and sustainable approaches to addressing malnutrition.
Methods: This study used a qualitative descriptive design. Following ethical approval residents participated in six face-to-face focus groups at three residential aged care facilities. Focus groups averaged 60-minutes in duration, were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: A total of 34 residents participated, 70% were 80 years or older, 90% were women, and 53% had resided in their residential aged care facility for 12 months or longer. The majority (70%) lived at one facility. Four themes emerged: reliance on residential aged care facility for nutrition provision (given their contractual obligation), barriers to good nutrition (including environmental detractors and staffing issues), enablers for good nutrition (such as social dining experiences and appealing food choices), and recommendations for malnutrition interventions (including providing nutritional information, access to dietitians, and improving meal quality and variety).
Conclusions: The residents were provided a unique opportunity to give insight into their mealtime experience- an 'end-user' perspective. Beyond addressing environmental and staffing challenges, enhancing residents' nutritional knowledge is essential. Interventions should focus on empowering residents to make informed dietary choices while providing robust support from trained staff.
Methods: This study used a qualitative descriptive design. Following ethical approval residents participated in six face-to-face focus groups at three residential aged care facilities. Focus groups averaged 60-minutes in duration, were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: A total of 34 residents participated, 70% were 80 years or older, 90% were women, and 53% had resided in their residential aged care facility for 12 months or longer. The majority (70%) lived at one facility. Four themes emerged: reliance on residential aged care facility for nutrition provision (given their contractual obligation), barriers to good nutrition (including environmental detractors and staffing issues), enablers for good nutrition (such as social dining experiences and appealing food choices), and recommendations for malnutrition interventions (including providing nutritional information, access to dietitians, and improving meal quality and variety).
Conclusions: The residents were provided a unique opportunity to give insight into their mealtime experience- an 'end-user' perspective. Beyond addressing environmental and staffing challenges, enhancing residents' nutritional knowledge is essential. Interventions should focus on empowering residents to make informed dietary choices while providing robust support from trained staff.
Biography
Dr Marie-Claire O’Shea is an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian (AdvAPD) with over 20 years of clinical experience. Having established and grown a successful private practice here on the Gold Coast, Marie-Claire has spent over a decade training and developing student and new graduate dietitians at Griffith University.
Her research has focused on strengthening graduates to be workforce ready. She currently leads a team of researchers from Griffith and Monash universities looking at malnutrition in aged care facilities. Her team of researchers include nurses, dietitians, physiotherapists and health economists. Our goal to ensure that each resident living in an aged care facility is in the best health they can be. Our first step is to ensure that we screen and recognise residents who are at risk of malnutrition and look at innovative ways to prevent this chronic disease. Our team feel ‘it’s time’ to act.
Dr Jonathan Foo
Lecturer
Monash University
What would you like for lunch? An exploration of resident experiences and understanding of nutrition
Biography
Dr Jonathan Foo is a health services researcher passionate about reducing low-value care and promoting high-value care.
Session Chair
Lui Di Venuto
Team Leader
City Of Onkaparinga
