Informal caregiver and healthcare professional perspectives on dementia and nutrition

BACKGROUND

Persons living with dementia and informal caregivers are at a higher risk for malnutrition. Most caregivers are not experts at identifying nutritional complications of dementia. Therefore, we aimed to identify nutrition knowledge and challenges related to feeding and caring for persons with dementia to develop a meaningful intervention.

METHODS

A mixed-methods approach was used. Eight focus groups were conducted with caregivers of persons living with dementia (n = 28) and healthcare professionals (n = 23). Data was analysed using NVivo software. A questionnaire was administered to identify nutritional challenges. A modified food frequency questionnaire assessed food patterns of caregivers and persons with dementia. Results were compared to Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) dietary guidelines. Data were analysed using SPSS software.

RESULTS

Four major themes emerged: forgetting to eat, developing food aversions, strong preferences for sweets and weight changes. Findings revealed common strategies used to improve nutrition intake included cueing, supplements and quiet eating environment. Caregivers were impacted by stress leading to poorer food choices and exhaustion. Recommendations for a caregiver program made by participants included education, resources and support. Findings from the food frequencies questionnaire survey showed most participants had a lower dietary diversity compared to the MIND diet guidelines.

CONCLUSIONS

With both groups being more prone to malnutrition, this research shows that participants were less likely to obtain adequate nutrition for brain health. Additionally, caregivers are dealing with nutrition issues themselves and their person living with dementia. The findings support the need for registered dietitians to provide tailored nutrition interventions for these families.

Experiences of formal caregivers of elderly inpatients with physical disabilities in China: a qualitative study

AIM

To explore the views and experiences of formal caregivers caring for older inpatients with physical disabilities.

METHODS

It was a qualitative phenomenological study. Using purposive sampling, twelve formal caregivers were chosen in a tertiary comprehensive hospital in Hangzhou, China. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted, guided by open-ended questions that focused on gaining rich insights into participants' views and experiences. Coding reliability thematic analysis was used to guide data analysis and categorize, based on Lazarus and Folkman's theory of transactional coping.

RESULTS

Four themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) Caregiving Threats. (2) motivations. (3) Responsibility Management. (4) Fear.

CONCLUSION

Despite facing significant pressure at work, formal caregivers of elderly inpatients with physical disabilities possess the drive and various coping strategies to excel in their role. Identifying caregivers' experiences of care can be helpful in improving resilience to stress and maintaining stability in formal caregivers.

An ethnography of mealtime care for people living with dementia in care homes

Many people living with dementia have difficulties at mealtimes, which can result in serious complications for physical and mental health, leading to hospital admissions and even death. However, current training in mealtime care for staff working with this population has been found to be poorly reported, with variable effectiveness. It is essential that care home staff are able to provide good care at mealtimes. This study used ethnography to explore current practice in mealtime care for this population, identify good practice, and understand the factors influencing mealtime care. Approximately 28 h of mealtime observations were conducted in two UK care homes with diverse characteristics. Observations focused on interactions between care staff and residents living with dementia. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were carried out with care home staff, family carers, and visiting health and social care professionals, to explore mealtime care from their perspectives. A constant comparative approach was taken, to probe emergent findings and explore topics in greater depth. Key thematic categories were identified, including: tensions in mealtime care; the symbolic nature of mealtime care; navigating tensions via a person-centred approach; contextual constraints on mealtime care; and teamwork in mealtime care. The findings indicated that a person-centred approach helps carers to find the right balance between apparently competing priorities, and teamwork is instrumental in overcoming contextual constraints. This evidence has contributed to development of a training intervention for care home staff. Future research should investigate the feasibility of mealtime care training in care homes.

Multi-Level Factors Associated with Relationship-Centred and Task-Focused Mealtime Practices in Long-Term Care: A Secondary Data Analysis of the Making the Most of Mealtimes Study

Mealtimes in long-term care (LTC) can reinforce relationships between staff and residents through relationship-centred care (RCC) practices; however, meals are often task-focused (TF). This cross-sectional study explores multi-level contextual factors that contribute to RCC and TF mealtime practices. Secondary data from residents in 32 Canadian LTC homes were analyzed (n = 634; mean age 86.7 ± 7.8; 31.1% male). Data included resident health record review, standardized mealtime observation tools, and valid questionnaires. A higher average number of RCC (9.6 ± 1.4) than TF (5.6 ± 2.1) practices per meal were observed. Multi-level regression revealed that a significant proportion of variation in the RCC and TF scores was explained at the resident- (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]RCC = 0.736; ICCTF = 0.482), dining room- (ICCRCC = 0.210; ICCTF = 0.162), and home- (ICCRCC = 0.054; ICCTF = 0.356) levels. For-profit status and home size modified the associations between functional dependency and practices. Addressing multi-level factors can reinforce RCC practices and reduce TF practices.

The struggle is real-A mixed qualitative methods synthesis of challenges in nursing care in activities of daily living

INTRODUCTION

Supporting care receivers in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), irrespective of diagnosis, setting, or cultural background, lies at the heart of fundamental nursing care. The pursuit of quality ADL care becomes increasingly challenging with the changing complexity of care needs. ADL care delivery is often undervalued and is considered a low-status task despite its crucial importance to care receivers. This study aims to synthesize challenges in ADL care irrespective of the care setting.

METHODS

In the mixed qualitative methods study, we used expert panel consultations, world café sessions, and a rapid literature review. For data analysis, we simultaneously analyzed the three data sets using inductive and deductive inquiry.

RESULTS

We identified four challenges and their corresponding subthemes. They are (1) Undervalued common-sense work versus complex, high-skilled care provision; (2) Limitations in professional reflective clinical decision-making; (3) Missed opportunities for shared ADL decisions; and (4) Meeting ADL care needs in a high-throughput system.

CONCLUSION

These challenges reveal the complexity of ADL care and how its paradoxical narrative relates to the conditions in which nursing professionals struggle to create opportunities, for reflective clinical reasoning and shared ADL decisions, by facing organizational and environmental barriers.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study is relevant to nursing professionals, care organizations, policymakers, and researchers aiming to improve ADL care and provide insights into challenges in ADL care. This study forms the starting point for a changing narrative on ADL nursing care and subsequent quality improvements in the form of, for example, guidelines for nursing professionals.

Nutritional Care for Institutionalized Persons with Dementia: An Integrative Review

BACKGROUND

Older people are at risk of malnutrition, especially when they suffer from cognitive impairment. Guidelines that orient nursing care in this regard need to be updated. The aim of this review is to address the best available evidence on interventions that can benefit nutritional nursing care for institutionalized older adults with dementia.

METHODS

Integrative review using the Dimensions and Eureka search engines, and the PubMed, Embase, Scielo, CINAHL, and ScienceDirect databases. We searched from the year 2015 through to 2021. We employed the MMAT guidelines for mixed, qualitative, and quantitative studies, and the PRISMA, CASP, and JBI guidelines to value the reviews.

RESULTS

A total of 55 studies met the inclusion criteria. The best available evidence to support nutritional nursing care for institutionalized older adults with dementia highlights several aspects related to the assessment and caring interventions that are focused on people with dementia, their caregivers, and their context.

CONCLUSIONS

Both the assessment and nutritional care interventions for older people with dementia should consider the patient-caregiver dyad as the subject of care and understand the context as a fundamental part of it. The analysis of the context should look further than the immediate environment.

Sequential relationships of food intake in nursing home residents with dementia: Behavioural analyses of videotaped mealtime observations

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

This study examined the sequential relationships of food intake and the moderating role of the characteristics of intake and resident conditions.

BACKGROUND

Nursing home residents commonly experience insufficient food intake. While multilevel factors influence intake, evidence on sequential relationships is lacking.

DESIGN

The study was an observational study using secondary, behavioural analyses following the STROBE Statement.

METHODS

Videotaped observations (N = 160) collected from a dementia communication trial during 2011-2014 were coded using the refined Cue Utilisation and Engagement in Dementia Mealtime Video-coding Scheme during 2018-2019. The 160 videos involved 27 residents living with dementia and 36 staff in 9 nursing homes. Independent variables were the state (solid intake, liquid intake, no intake) of an intake episode occurring during mealtime (current episode), eating technique (resident-initiated, staff-facilitated) used in the next episode occurring after the current episode (subsequent episode), interval between adjacent episodes, and resident comorbidities and dementia stage. The dependent variable was the state of subsequent episode.

RESULTS

Successful liquid and solid intake increased odds of subsequent liquid and solid intake. Comorbidities were associated with decreased odds of subsequent liquid and solid intake for staff-facilitated episodes. When liquid intake occurred, staff-facilitation decreased odds of subsequent liquid intake; longer intervals between adjacent episodes increased odds of subsequent solid intake.

CONCLUSION

Food intake was strongly and sequentially associated, and such temporal relationships were dependent on characteristics of the intake process and resident conditions.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The study findings supported that initiating successful intake facilitates continuity of successful intake during mealtime. Behavioural interventions tailored by comorbidities that modify characteristics of the food intake process may improve food intake.

Temporal Relationships Between Nursing Home Staff Care Approaches and Behaviors of Residents With Dementia During Mealtimes: A Sequential Analysis

Background and Objectives

Optimal dyadic interactions are critical to quality mealtime care and outcomes. Prior work supports associative relationships between staff approaches and individual mealtime behaviors, yet evidence on temporal relationships is limited. This study examined temporal associations between staff approaches and resident behaviors during mealtimes.

Research Design and Methods

Videotaped mealtime observations (N = 160) involving 36 staff and 27 residents (53 staff-resident dyads) in 9 nursing homes were analyzed. Sequential analyses using 5-, 10-, and 15-second time windows were conducted for resident positive, neutral, and challenging behaviors as antecedents as well as consequences of staff person-centered and task-centered approaches.

Results

Residents exhibited positive verbal (35.0%) and positive/neutral nonverbal (12.6%) behaviors, as well as challenging behaviors including functional impairments (27.7%) and resistive behaviors (24.7%). Staff primarily used person-centered approaches (54.1% verbal, 40.3% nonverbal); task-centered approaches were less frequent (5.6%). Immediately (within 5 seconds) after staff person-centered approaches, resident positive/neutral and resistive behaviors were more likely, and functional impairments less likely. After staff task-centered approaches, resident positive verbal and resistive behaviors were less likely. After resident positive/neutral behaviors, staff person-centered approaches were more likely. After resident functional impairments, staff person-centered verbal approaches were less likely, and task-centered approaches more likely. After resident resistive behaviors, all staff approaches were more likely. The strength of temporal relationships diminished in 10-second and 15-second time windows.

Discussion and Implications

Staff-resident positive interactions were associated with more subsequent positive interactions. Person-centered care was associated with fewer subsequent resident functional impairments and more subsequent resistive behaviors. Resident resistive behaviors were associated with more subsequent person-centered and task-centered care. Findings confirm the importance of facilitating positive staff-resident interactions and managing functional impairments using person-centered care. Resistive behaviors require additional awareness and attention beyond commonly used person-centered care approaches. Further investigation of temporal relationships is needed using larger diverse samples.

Mealtime Interactions between Nursing Home Staff and Residents with Dementia: A Behavioral Analysis of Language Characteristics

Background. Quality staff-resident communication is crucial to promote outcomes in nursing home residents with dementia requiring assistance during mealtimes. Better understanding of staff-resident language characteristics in mealtime interactions help promote effective communication, yet evidence is limited. This study aimed to examine factors associated with language characteristics in staff-resident mealtime interactions. Methods. This was a secondary analysis of 160 mealtime videos involving 36 staff and 27 residents with dementia (53 unique staff-resident dyads) in 9 nursing homes. We examined the associations of speaker (resident vs. staff), utterance quality (negative vs. positive), intervention (pre- vs. post-communication intervention), and resident dementia stage and comorbidities with expression length (number of words in each utterance) and addressing partner by name (whether staff or resident named their partner in each utterance), respectively. Results. Staff (utterance n = 2990, 99.1% positive, mean = 4.3 words per utterance) predominated conversations and had more positive, longer utterances than residents (utterance n = 890, 86.7% positive, mean = 2.6 words per utterance). As residents progressed from moderately-severe to severe dementia, both residents and staff produced shorter utterances (z=-2.66, p = .009). Staff (18%) named residents more often than residents (2.0%; z = 8.14, p < .0001) and when assisting residents with more severe dementia (z = 2.65, p = .008). Conclusions. Staff-resident communication was primarily positive, staff-initiated, and resident-oriented. Utterance quality and dementia stage were associated with staff-resident language characteristics. Staff play a critical role in mealtime care communication and should continue to initiate resident-oriented interactions using simple, short expressions to accommodate resident declining language abilities, particularly those with severe dementia. Staff should practice addressing residents by their names more frequently to promote individualized, targeted, person-centered mealtime care. Future work may further examine staff-resident language characteristics at word and other levels using more diverse samples.

A comparison of nurses and elderly patients' perceptions of caring behaviors in intensive care units

OBJECTIVE

Differences in patients and nurses' perceptions of caring behaviors arouse patient dissatisfaction. Continuous monitoring and assessment of caring behaviors has revealed its problems, and this in turn would promote care services by planning rational interventions and removing the problems. The present study aimed to compare nurses and elderly patients' perceptions of nurses' caring behaviors in intensive care units in accordance with Watson's transpersonal caring theory.

METHODS

In this descriptive-analytical study, 70 nurses were selected using the census method, and 70 elderly patients over 60 years old were also selected using purposive sampling method from the intensive care units of Lorestan University of Medical Sciences during 2012-2013. Caring Behavior Inventory for Elders (CBI-E) was adopted in this research to detect the nurses and elderly patients' perceptions of caring behaviors. In the data analysis phase, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and Pearson correlation tests were used.

RESULTS

The research findings revealed no statistically significant difference between the total scores of nurses' 83.80 (22.93), 95% CI [78.40, 89.20] and elderly patients' 80.09 (26.00), 95% CI [74, 86.20] perception of nurses' caring behaviors (P=0.379). From the viewpoint of the nurses and elderly patients, responding quickly to a patient's call 100.00 (0.00), 95% CI [100.00, 100.00] had the highest mean scores and patient participation in caring process had the lowest mean scores among nurses 22.86 (33.71), 95% CI [15.00, 30.80] and elderly patients 14.29 (28.41), 95% CI [7.63, 20.90].

CONCLUSION

This study indicated the elderlies and nurses' similar perceptions of caring behaviors in intensive care units. This finding would help nurses to recognize and prioritize the elderly patients' care needs, thereby promoting the quality of care services.

Factors Affecting Mealtime Difficulties in Older Adults with Dementia Living in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Multilevel Model Analysis

Aim(s). This study conducted a multilevel analysis of mealtime difficulties in older adults with dementia based on the social-ecological model. Background. Mealtime difficulty in this population should be examined from an extensive perspective, rather than approaching it as an individual problem. Method(s). This was a cross-sectional study involving 342 participant dyads from 57 long-term care facilities; 114 direct care workers; and 342 older adults with dementia. A multilevel regression analysis was conducted using the MPlus 8.0 program. Results. Among intrapersonal factors, age, cognitive function, activities of daily living, and number of beds in the facility were identified as affecting mealtime difficulty. Environmental factors included meal assistant education experience and whether an environment suitable for eating had been established. Conclusion(s). The results show that intrapersonal factors exert a large influence on the mealtime difficulties of older adults with dementia in long-term care facilities and support the need to improve environmental factors, which are modifiable. Implications for Nursing Management. This study provided useful information about the influence of leaders on mealtime difficulties in older adults with dementia. Leaders should establish an environment in the facility for reduced mealtime difficulties.

Eating Difficulties and Relationship With Nutritional Status Among Patients With Dementia

BACKGROUND

One of the most common behavioral problems in patients with dementia is eating problems, which are known to increase the risk of malnutrition. However, few studies have been conducted in this patient group regarding the relationship between eating difficulties and nutritional status.

PURPOSE

This study was designed to determine the eating difficulties faced by patients with dementia and to evaluate the relationship in this population between eating difficulties and malnutrition.

METHODS

This study was carried out in a dementia outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. This cross-sectional, case-control study included 50 patients and 50 healthy controls as participants. Participants were assessed for eating difficulties and for nutritional, cognitive, and functional statuses.

RESULTS

The patients with dementia had more difficulties in terms of self-feeding skills. Although problems related to manipulating food on the plate and the use of utensils were not seen in the control group, these problems were found in 30% of the participants in the dementia group ( p < .001). Moreover, 30% of the patients in the dementia group were unable to eat without assistance ( p < .001). Associations were found between eating difficulties and age, duration of illness, and cognitive and functional (basic and instrumental activities of daily living) statuses. In addition, self-feeding skills were found to be associated with nutritional status. Rate of malnutrition or risk of malnutrition was higher in patients with dementia than in those in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, compared with the control group, patients with dementia had more problems in self-feeding skills such as manipulation of food on a plate, use of utensils, need for assistive tools, ability to eat without assistance, and negative eating behaviors (refusal to eat). An association was found between eating difficulties and nutritional status. Evaluating eating difficulties is recommended in patients with dementia to prevent nutritional deterioration.

Person-centred and task-centred care: Impact on mealtime behaviours in nursing home residents with dementia

INTRODUCTION

Mealtime is a critical daily activity to ensure nutrition, hydration, function and socialisation. Interactions between staff and residents during mealtimes are complex and dynamic processes including verbal and/or nonverbal communication that can be positive/neutral or challenging. This study examined characteristics of and relationships between person-centred and task-centred care and positive/neutral and challenging mealtime behaviours in persons with dementia.

METHODS

This study was a secondary behavioural analyses of videotaped mealtime observations (n = 110) involving 42 unique staff-resident dyads (29 staff and 25 residents with dementia) in nine nursing homes. The refined Cue Utilization and Engagement in Dementia mealtime video-coding scheme was used to code videos during 2019-2020. Dependent variables representing resident mealtime behaviours included positive verbal behaviours, positive/neutral nonverbal behaviours, functional impairments (nonverbal) and resistive behaviours (verbal and nonverbal). Independent variables were staff person-centred and task-centred approaches (verbal and nonverbal). Relationships between resident mealtime behaviours and staff approaches were examined using bivariate analysis and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Staff person-centred verbal approaches were associated with resident positive verbal behaviours (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.09-1.76), functional impairments (OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.66-1.00) and resistive behaviours (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.18-2.31). Staff person-centred nonverbal approaches were associated with resident functional impairments (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.02-1.74). Staff task-centred approaches were not associated with resident positive/neutral or challenging mealtime behaviours.

CONCLUSION

This study characterised staff approaches and resident behaviours during mealtime care and provided preliminary support on associations between staff person-centred approaches and resident positive and challenging behaviours. Person-centred mealtime care practice is recommended by focusing on support of common, challenging behaviours and reinforcement of positive behaviours with adequate consideration of individual needs and preferences.

Person-Centered and Task-Centered Care and Mealtime Behaviors in Nursing Home Residents With Dementia: Impact on Food Intake

Background and Objectives

Nursing home (NH) staff mealtime care approaches are associated with behaviors of residents with dementia, but their impact on food intake remains unexplored. This study examined the role of staff person-centered and task-centered approaches and resident positive, neutral, and challenging behaviors on food intake.

Research Design and Methods

Videotaped mealtime observations (N = 160) involving 36 staff and 27 residents (53 unique staff-resident dyads) in 9 NHs were coded using the refined Cue Utilization and Engagement in Dementia mealtime video-coding scheme. The dependent variable was resident food intake. The independent variables were staff person-centered approaches that support resident abilities, staff-resident (dyadic) interactions, and dining environments, staff task-centered approaches, and resident positive, neutral, and challenging behaviors. Resident challenging behaviors included mealtime functional impairments and resistive behaviors. Linear mixed modeling was used. Moderating effects of staff approaches, food type, and length of dyadic mealtime interactions (ie, video duration) were examined.

Results

The relationship between food intake and resident mealtime functional impairments was moderated by food type (p < .001). The relationship between food intake and resident resistive behaviors was moderated by food type (p = .002) and staff person-centered verbal approaches (p = .001). The relationships between food intake and staff person-centered nonverbal approaches (p = .003) and resident positive/neutral nonverbal behaviors (p = .004) were moderated by the length of dyadic mealtime interactions.

Discussion and Implications

Food intake was associated with staff person-centered approaches and resident positive/neutral and challenging behaviors. Findings emphasize the importance of facilitating positive dyadic interactions using individualized, context-based, multifaceted, person-centered care. Future research on temporal and causal relationships is warranted in larger diverse samples.

Mealtime nonverbal behaviors in nursing home staff and residents with dementia: Behavioral analyses of videotaped observations

This study characterized mealtime nonverbal behaviors of nursing home staff and residents with dementia and examined the relationships between individual characteristics and nonverbal behaviors. Videotaped observations (N=110) involving 25 residents and 29 staff (42 unique staff-resident dyads) in 9 nursing homes were coded using the refined Cue Utilization and Engagement in Dementia Mealtime Video-Coding Scheme. Wilcoxon rank-sum test or Kruskal-Wallis test were used for continuous characteristics, and Fisher's exact test for categorical characteristics. Residents primarily exhibited challenging behaviors including resistive behaviors (35.7%), chewing/swallowing difficulties (33.5%), and functional impairments (9.9%), followed by positive/neutral behaviors (20.9%). Staff primarily used person-centered behavioral strategies, including modifications of: 1) resident abilities (41.9%), 2) care approaches (35.1%), and 3) dining environment (13.6%), followed by task-centered behaviors (9.3%). Residents challenging behaviors were correlated with staff person-centered behavioral strategies. Dyadic nonverbal behaviors were correlated with multiple individual characteristics. Understanding dyadic nonverbal interactions facilitates use of person-centered, multilevel, behavioral strategies to optimize mealtime outcomes.

Dyadic interactions and physical and social environment in dementia mealtime care: a systematic review of instruments

Using valid instruments to measure dyadic interactions and physical and social environment during mealtime care of persons with dementia is critical to evaluate the process, fidelity, and impact of mealtime interventions. However, the characteristics and quality of existing instruments remain unexplored. This systematic review described the characteristics and synthesized the psychometric quality of instruments originally developed or later modified to measure mealtime dyadic interactions and physical and/or social dining environment for people with dementia, on the basis of published reports between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 2020. We identified 26 instruments: 17 assessed dyadic interactions, one assessed physical environment, and eight assessed physical and social environment. All instruments were used in research and none in clinical practice. All instruments were observational tools and scored as having low psychometric quality, except for the refined Cue Utilization and Engagement in Dementia (CUED) mealtime video-coding scheme rated as having moderate quality. Reasons for low quality are the use of small samples compared with the number of items, limited psychometric testing, and inadequate estimates. All existing tools warrant further testing in larger diverse samples in varied settings and validation for use in clinical practice. The refined CUED is a potential tool for use and requires testing in direct on-site observations.

How do we provide good mealtime care for people with dementia living in care homes? A systematic review of carer-resident interactions

People with dementia who live in care homes often depend on care home staff for help with eating and drinking. It is essential that care home staff have the skills and support they need to provide good care at mealtimes. Good mealtime care may improve quality of life for residents, and reduce hospital admissions. The aim of this systematic review was to identify good practice in mealtime care for people with dementia living in care homes, by focusing on carer-resident interactions at mealtimes. Robust systematic review methods were followed. Seven databases were searched: AgeLine, BNI, CENTRAL, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened independently by two reviewers, and study quality was assessed with Joanna Briggs Institute tools. Narrative synthesis was used to analyse quantitative and qualitative evidence in parallel. Data were interrogated to identify thematic categories of carer-resident interaction. The synthesis process was undertaken by one reviewer, and discussed throughout with other reviewers for cross-checking. After title/abstract and full-text screening, 18 studies were included. Some studies assessed mealtime care interventions, others investigated factors contributing to oral intake, whilst others explored the mealtime experience. The synthesis identified four categories of carer-resident interaction important to mealtime care: Social connection, Tailored care, Empowering the resident, and Responding to food refusal. Each of the categories has echoes in related literature, and provides promising directions for future research. They merit further consideration, as new interventions are developed to improve mealtime care for this population.

Eating Difficulties among Older Adults with Dementia in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Scoping Review

This paper reports a scoping review of the literature on eating difficulties among older adults with dementia in long-term care facilities to identify key concepts, methods of measuring outcomes, interventions, and related factors. A scoping review was performed using the bibliographic databases PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. A combination of keywords and subject headings related to eating or feeding difficulties was used. Inclusion criteria were limited to materials published in English. A total of 1070 references were retrieved, of which 39 articles were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Articles that met the criteria were published between 1987 and 2020. “Eating disabilities” have been defined as problems related to choosing food and/or the ability to get food to one’s mouth, chew, and swallow. Interventions for eating difficulties described in the literature include spaced retrieval training, Montessori training, and feeding skill training. Intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental factors related to eating difficulties were identified. This scoping review will provide direct care workers, nursing educators, and administrators with an overview of eating performance and a broad understanding of eating difficulties for older adults with dementia in long-term care facilities.

Optimizing mealtime care for people with dementia from the perspective of formal caregivers: A systematic review of qualitative research

BACKGROUND

As dementia progresses, people with dementia experience many problems during mealtimes that seriously affect their physical, psychological, and social health and quality of life. Formal caregivers play an important role in optimizing mealtime care.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review and synthesise relevant qualitative studies exploring the experience and perceptions of formal caregivers regarding optimizing mealtime care for people with dementia.

DESIGN

A systematic review of qualitative research.

DATA SOURCES

The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, CNKI, WanFang and Vip databases were systematically searched.

REVIEW METHODS

Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts, extracted the data and performed critical appraisals of each included study. The data synthesis was conducted using thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

A total of 10 studies were included. The formal caregivers included nursing assistants, nurses, speech and language therapists, nursing students, dietitians, a social worker, a professional educator, physiotherapists, health care aides, kitchen staff, diversional therapy assistants and other unidentified care staff. The findings were synthesised into the following 3 analytical themes: (1) tailored rather than standardized; (2) emotional nurturance; and (3) beyond the individual level.

CONCLUSIONS

Mealtimes involve complex physiological and psychological processes. Formal caregivers should develop tailored care practices based on individual patients' preferences and needs. Emotional connection plays a key role and has a positive impact on the mealtime experience. Further research is needed to explore the specific effects of emotional connections on optimizing mealtime care.

Mealtime verbal interactions among nursing home staff and residents with dementia: A secondary behavioural analysis of videotaped observations

AIMS

To characterize dyadic mealtime verbal interactions and examine the associations with staff and resident characteristics.

DESIGN

A secondary analysis of 110 videotaped mealtime observations collected from a dementia communication trial during 2011-2014.

METHODS

Videos involved 25 residents with dementia and 29 staff in nine nursing homes. Verbal behaviours (utterances) were coded during 2018-2019 using the Cue Utilization and Engagement in Dementia mealtime video-coding scheme, addressing eight positive behaviours and four negative behaviours. Bivariate analyses and multivariate regression models were used.

RESULTS

Staff spoke three times more frequently (76.5%) than residents (23.5%). Nearly all staff utterances were positive (99.2%); 85.1% of residents' utterances were positive and 14.9% negative. Staff positive utterances were correlated with their negative utterances and resident positive and negative utterances. Staff negative utterances were correlated with resident negative utterances. Resident positive and negative utterances were correlated. Resident positive utterances were significantly associated with staff care-giving length in the current nursing home (OR = 1.430, 95% CI = 1.008, 2.027). Resident negative utterances were significantly associated with resident gender (female versus male, OR = 11.892, 95% CI = 1.237, 114.289) and staff years worked as a caregiver (OR = 0.838, 95% CI = 0.710, 0.989). Staff positive and negative utterances were not associated significantly with any participant characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Staff engage residents using primarily positive verbal strategies. Staff-resident mealtime verbal interactions were dynamic, interactive, and complex and related to multiple individual characteristics.

IMPACT

Positive dyadic mealtime interactions are critical to engage residents in eating. Little work has characterized dyadic mealtime interactions, limiting the development of effective interventions. Findings showed staff-resident mealtime verbal interactions were primarily positive, inter-related, and associated with multiple individual characteristics. Findings inform directions to improve mealtime care practice and develop person-centred mealtime interventions targeting modifiable factors, including staff care-giving experiences.

A Qualitative Analysis of the Delivery of Person-Centered Nutrition to Asian Americans With Dementia in the Adult Day Health Care Setting

Adult day service centers (ADSCs) provide community-based long-term care, including meals, to racially diverse older adults, 47% of whom have dementia and consequently experience elevated nutritional risk. We examine nutritional behaviors for Chinese and Vietnamese persons living with dementia (PLWD) in ADSCs and evaluate the extent to which ADSCs provide person-centered nutritional care. Multi-stakeholder interviews were conducted. Data were coded using Dedoose and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-step method. The Model for the Provision of Good Nutritional Care in Dementia guided analysis. Barriers to food intake included distracting meal environment, rigid mealtimes, and excessively restrictive diets. Conversely, peer relationships, culturally tailored meals and celebrations, and consistent staff assisting with feeding benefited PLWD. ADSCs can support healthy nutritional behaviors and quality of life among PLWD through person-centered nutritional care. To optimize nutritional services, further exploration is needed with respect to the ADSC environment, users' culture and ethnicity, and liberalized diets for PLWD.

Ease of use, feasibility and inter-rater reliability of the refined Cue Utilization and Engagement in Dementia (CUED) mealtime video-coding scheme

AIMS

To refine the Cue Utilization and Engagement in Dementia mealtime video-coding scheme and examine its ease of use, feasibility, and inter-rater reliability in assessing the food intake process and dyadic verbal and nonverbal interactions.

DESIGN

This study was a secondary analysis of 110 videotaped observations of mealtime interactions collected under usual care conditions from a dementia communication trial during 2011-2014.

METHODS

The videos involved 29 staff and 25 residents with dementia (42 unique staff-resident dyads) in nine nursing homes. Data coding and analysis were performed in 2018-2019. Logs of coding challenges with matched solutions and coding time were collected. Inter-rater reliability was examined through rating of randomly selected 22 videos across four trained coders.

RESULTS

It took a mean of 10.81 hr to code a one-hour video using the refined coding scheme. Coding challenges, including identification of key intake process characteristics and differentiation of similar verbal or nonverbal behaviours, were identified with appropriate solutions. The refined coding scheme had good inter-rater reliability (Cohen's Kappa range = 0.93 - 0.99, 95% CI = 0.92 - 0.99).

CONCLUSION

Findings supported preliminary evidence on feasibility, usability and inter-rater reliability of the refined coding scheme. Future psychometric testing is needed in diverse populations with dementia across different care settings.

IMPACT

Existing tools assessing the food intake process and dyadic interactions are few and have limited feasibility and/or reliability and fail to capture the complexity and dynamics of mealtime care. The refined coding scheme showed preliminary feasibility, usability, and inter-rater reliability. In consideration of the balance between time intensity and the richness of data obtained, the tool may be appropriate and useful in addressing certain research inquires (e.g., characterizing and clustering dyadic behaviours, temporal relationship between behaviours and intake) pertaining older adults with or without dementia and their formal or informal caregivers.

Feasibility of a Mobile Meal Assistance Program for Direct Care Workers in Long-Term Care Facilities in South Korea

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and examine the preliminary effectiveness of a mobile application-based meal assistant training program (APP) for use by direct care workers (CAs) assisting residents with dementia in long-term care facilities in South Korea.

Methods

We adopted a mixed methods research design, which included a pre- and post-intervention study and focus group interviews for the feasibility assessment. Participants included 23 dyads of older adults with dementia and their CAs from a long-term care facility in South Korea. Upon completion of the APP intervention, focused group interviews were conducted with six CAs and five nurses.

Results

The results of paired t-tests showed that the effects of the APP intervention on the older adults with dementia and their CAs were not significant; however, the results of the focused group interviews support the potential usefulness of the APP for CAs.

Conclusion

The APP may be applicable to long-term care workers who need meal assistant skills education.

Fidelity challenges while implementing an intervention aimed at increasing eating performance among nursing home residents with cognitive decline: A multicentre, qualitative descriptive study design

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To increase the knowledge on fidelity challenges in intervention studies promoting eating independence in residents with cognitive decline living in nursing homes (NHs).

BACKGROUND

A few studies have documented to date factors affecting fidelity in intervention studies performed in NH settings. Moreover, fidelity issues in intervention studies aimed at promoting eating independence among NH residents with cognitive decline have not been studied to date.

DESIGN

A hybrid study design was performed in 2018 and reported here according to the COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research.

METHODS

In a clustered multicentre before/after intervention study design, a nested, multicentre qualitative descriptive design was performed. Four researchers with a nursing background, who received appropriate training, implemented the designed intervention. This consisted in intentional rounds in the dining rooms during lunchtime and was based on supportive, prescriptive and informative prompts delivered to residents with cognitive decline aimed at stimulating eating independence. A momentary assessment method was used, based on daily diary filled in by participant researchers after every session of intervention delivery on the following five dimensions of fidelity: (a) adherence, (b) dose (or exposure), (c) intervention quality, (d) participant responsiveness and (e) programme differentiation. A direct content analysis of the narratives reported on the diaries was performed.

RESULTS

Factors increasing or hindering intervention fidelity during its implementation emerged at the NH, staff, family caregivers, resident, researchers and at the intervention itself levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Several factors emerged and all reported potentially both positive and negative influences on fidelity while implementing an intervention aimed at promoting eating independence among NH residents. Fidelity challenges should be considered as dynamic in NH intervention studies, where continuous adjustments of the intervention delivered are required.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

A calm environment, with staff members showing a caring behaviour, and researchers having achieved good familiarity with the NH setting, the residents, their family carers and the staff members, can all increase intervention fidelity.

Food intake is associated with verbal interactions between nursing home staff and residents with dementia: A secondary analysis of videotaped observations

BACKGROUND

Nursing home residents with dementia commonly experience low food intake, leading to negative functional and nutritional consequences. While the importance of staff-resident (dyadic) interactions during mealtime is acknowledged, little research has examined the role of dyadic verbal interactions on food intake.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine the relationship between food intake and dyadic verbal interactions.

METHODS

This study was a secondary analysis of 110 videotaped observations of mealtime care interactions among 25 residents with dementia and 29 staff (42 unique dyads) in 9 nursing homes. Staff positive utterances and resident positive and negative utterances (independent variables) and food intake (dependent variable) were coded from the videotaped observations using the Cue Utilization and Engagement in Dementia video coding scheme. A linear mixed model was fit to the data. The two-way interaction effects of food type and video duration with each independent variable as well as two-way interaction effects among the independent variables were tested. Covariates included in the model were the number of years staff worked as a caregiver, and resident age, gender, and eating function.

RESULTS

The model included three significant interaction effects involving verbal variables: the interaction effect of staff positive utterances with resident positive utterances (p=.030), the interaction effect of staff positive utterances with food type (p=.027), and the interaction effect of resident negative utterances with video duration (p=0.002). Increased number of intakes of liquid food per minute was associated with increased number of staff positive utterances per minute when residents did not make positive utterances. Decreased number of intakes of solid food per minute was associated with increased number of staff positive utterances per minute, especially when residents made between 0 and 3 positive utterances per minute. As the duration of the videos increased, the number of intakes per minute increased for residents who made one or more negative utterances and decreased for residents who made no negative utterances in the videos. The number of intakes per minute was associated with resident gender in that male residents had increased number of intakes per minute compared with female residents (p=.017), and was not associated with other participant characteristics.

CONCLUSION

Intake was associated with dyadic verbal interactions, and such relationship was complex in that it was moderated by food type and video duration. Findings support the significant role of dyadic verbal interactions on intake, and inform the development of effective, tailored mealtime care interventions to promote intake.

Development and Psychometric Testing of the Mealtime Engagement Scale in Direct Care Providers of Nursing Home Residents with Dementia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Mealtime engagement is defined as verbal and nonverbal assistance provided by caregivers to guide and motivate care-recipients in eating. Quality mealtime engagement is critical to improve mealtime difficulties and intake among older adults with dementia requiring eating assistance. Few tools are feasible and valid to measure mealtime engagement. This study developed and tested the Mealtime Engagement Scale (MES).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Items were developed based on literature review and expert review and finalized based on content validity and corrected item-total correlation. A secondary analysis of 87 videotaped observations capturing 18 nursing home staff providing mealtime care to residents with dementia was conducted. Internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, and intra-rater reliability were assessed. Concurrent and convergent validity were examined through correlation (rs) with the Relational Behavior Scale (RBS) and the Mealtime Relational-Care Checklist (M-RCC), respectively.

RESULTS

The 18-item MES was developed with adequate content validity (Scale-CVI=1.00; Scale-CVI/Average=0.962-0.987). Each item is scored from 0 (never) to 3 (always). The total scale score ranges from 0 to 54. Higher scores indicate greater mealtime engagement. The MES had very good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.837), outstanding inter-rater reliability (Interclass Correlation=0.920), outstanding intra-rater reliability (Interclass Correlation =0.956), adequate concurrent validity based on strong correlation with the RBS (rs=0.821, p&.001), and fair convergent validity based on weak correlation with the M-RCC (rs=0.219, p=.042).

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Findings provide preliminary psychometric evidence of MES to measure mealtime engagement. Future testing is needed among more and diverse samples in different care settings to accumulate psychometric evidence.

Mealtime Caregiving Engagement for Residents with Advanced Dementia: Item Response Theory Analysis

The 18-item Mealtime Engagement Scale was developed to measure mealtime caregiving engagement with preliminary reliability and validity. Item Response Theory models (i.e., Rasch model and Rating Response Model) may provide insight into item functioning. This was a secondary analysis of 87 videotaped mealtime observations involving 18 nursing home staff providing care to residents with advanced dementia.In both models, item difficulties were distributed considerably along the latent trait and highly correlated. Two thirds of the 18 items were located at the moderate level of mealtime engagement. "Providing one-on-one assistance" was most frequently observed, and "re-approaching individual to continue meal" was least frequently observed. All items showed desirable fit to the models. The Rasch model had a significantly smaller deviance than the Rating Response Model, indicating an overall better fit. Findings provided preliminary support for item functioning and pointed out directions for item revisions. Future testing in larger diverse samples is needed.

Conhecimentos e sobrecarga do familiar cuidador frente ao paciente com demência

Resumo Objetivo Verificar o conhecimento do familiar cuidador frente ao paciente com demência e avaliar a sobrecarga proveniente do cuidado. Método Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, desenvolvida no ambulatório de um hospital de referência em neurologia na cidade do Recife, PE, Brasil. Os dados foram coletados por meio da entrevista semiestruturada, questionário sociodemográfico e da aplicação da Escala de Zarit, os dados foram tratados pela análise de conteúdo proposta por Bardin e discutidos de acordo com os constructos da problematização e autonomia de Paulo Freire. Os participantes assinaram o TCLE atestando o consentimento para a pesquisa Resultados Da análise das entrevistas com 17 familiares cuidadores, emergiram três categorias temáticas: desconhecimento sobre a doença, percepção do familiar cuidador frente às necessidades do paciente e sobrecarga familiar. Com a progressão da doença, torna-se imprescindível a presença do cuidador, entretanto a maioria não possui suporte necessário para assistir aos seus familiares. Conclusão O estudo verificou o despreparo e a dificuldade do cuidador com manejo de seus familiares que possuem alguma síndrome demencial. Assim, torna-se necessária a continuidade de mais produções sobre essa temática e suas repercussões na vida dos familiares cuidadores, a fim de auxiliar nas estratégias de promoção à saúde para essa população.

Eating performance in relation to intake of solid and liquid food in nursing home residents with dementia: A secondary behavioral analysis of mealtime videos

BACKGROUND

Persons with dementia commonly experience low food intake leading to negative nutritional and functional outcomes. While multilevel personal and environmental factors that influence intake are implicated, evidence is lacking on the role of characteristics of dynamic eating performance cycles. An eating performance cycle is defined as the process of getting food from the plate or container, transporting it into the mouth, and chewing and swallowing it.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the association between intake and characteristics of eating performance cycles among nursing home residents with dementia.

METHODS

A secondary analysis of 111 mealtime video clips from a nursing home communication training study was conducted. The 111 videos involved 25 residents and 29 staff (N = 42 unique staff-resident dyads) in 9 nursing homes. The Cue Utilization and Engagement in Dementia Mealtime video-coding scheme was used to code the characteristics of eating performance cycles, including eating technique (resident-completed, staff-facilitated), type of food (solid, liquid), duration of each eating performance cycle, and intake outcome (intake, no intake). The Generalized Linear Mixed Model was used to examine the interaction effects of eating technique by type of food, eating technique by duration, and type of food by duration on intake outcome.

RESULTS

Totally 1122 eating performance cycles were coded from 111 video clips. The majority of the cycles (85.7%) resulted in intake. There were significant interactions for eating technique by duration, and type of food by duration. As the duration of the eating performance cycle increased, staff-facilitated cycles resulted in greater odds of intake than resident-completed cycles (OR = 17.80 vs. 2.73); and cycles involving liquid food resulted in greater odds of intake than cycles involving solid food (OR = 15.42 vs. 3.15). Though the interaction between eating technique and type of food was not significant, the odds of intake were greater for resident-completed cycles than for staff-facilitated cycles regardless of the type of food being involved in the cycle (OR = 3.60 for liquid food, OR = 10.69 for solid food).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings pointed out the importance of supporting resident independence in eating performance, providing liquid food when residents struggle with solid food, and provision of longer and continuous facilitation at mealtimes to improve intake. The findings inform the development and implementation of innovative mealtime assistance and staff training to promote eating performance and intake.

Dental-related function and oral health in relation to eating performance in assisted living residents with and without cognitive impairment

AIMS

Despite the physiologic relationship, there is a lack of evidence on how dental-related function and oral health impact eating performance. This study aims to examine the association of eating performance with dental-related function and oral health among assisted living residents.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study was a secondary analysis of observational data collected from an instrument development study. Participants included 90 residents with normal to severely impaired cognition from three assisted livings. Multilevel mixed-effects ordered logistic models were used. The dependent variable was eating performance measured by the single "eating" item (scored from 0 to 4 on level of dependence). Independent variables were resident age, gender, dental-related function, and oral health. The resident and facility clustering effects accounted for 88% of variance in eating performance, among which 84% was explained by dental-related function and oral health. Eating performance was associated with dental-related function (coefficient = -0.10, 95% CI = -0.19, -0.01, P = .025), and was not associated with other characteristics.

CONCLUSION

Eating performance is influenced by the complex relationship with dental-related function and oral health. Novel interventions using interdisciplinary partnerships are needed to maintain dental-related function and oral health to optimize eating performance.

Factors influencing the pace of food intake for nursing home residents with dementia: Resident characteristics, staff mealtime assistance and environmental stimulation

AIM

To examine the association of resident characteristics, staff mealtime assistance and environmental stimulation with the pace of food intake.

DESIGN

A secondary analysis of 36 baseline eating videos involving 19 nursing assistants and 15 residents with dementia in eight nursing homes from a communication intervention study.

METHODS

The outcome variable was the pace of food intake (the number of bites and drinks per minute). The exploratory variables were resident characteristics (age, gender, dementia stage and eating performance), staff mealtime assistance (frequency of verbal, visual, partial and full physical assistance) and environmental stimulation. Multi-level models were used to examine the association.

RESULTS

A faster pace of food intake is associated with being male, better eating performance, staff provision of visual and physical assistance and better quality of environmental stimulation that involved interaction. The pace of food intake was not associated with resident age, staff verbal assistance or partial physical assistance.