Eating together is important: using a dining room in an acute elderly medical ward increases energy intake

Wright, Lucy; Hickson, Mary; Frost, Gillian

doi:10.1111/j.1365-277x.2006.00658.x

Cited by 87 publications

(128 citation statements)

References 7 publications

(12 reference statements)

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“…Social companionship appears to be important to nutritional health, as eating with close companions is associated with greater food intake (de Castro and Stroebele 2002;de Castro and Brewer 1992;Locher et al 2005;Okamoto et al 2007;Wright et al 2006). Changes in social arrangements occur when older adults move into residential care.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Resident interactions at mealtime: an exploratory study

Curle

Keller

2010

Eur J Ageing

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Social interaction is thought to be important for psychological wellbeing and is necessary for developing relationships between older adults living in facilities. This study seeks to describe the social interaction that occurs amongst tablemates at mealtime in retirement homes, as well those things that influence resident-to-resident interaction. Fourteen lunch time periods were the basis for qualitative participant observation. Two or three researchers collected data in each period, with each observing two tables, resulting in 63 individual table observations at a retirement living facility dining room in a medium-sized city in Southern Ontario. Residents attending mealtime in the dining room were (~ 100). The type, extent and influences on social interactions amongst tablemates were recorded in detailed field notes. Qualitative thematic analysis, using a constant comparison procedure, was used to summarize and make sense of the data. A variety of social interactions occurred amongst tablemates including: making conversation, providing assistance, sharing, humouring, showing appreciation and affection, and rebuffing/ignoring/excluding. Interactions were influenced by tablemate roles, resident characteristics, and the social and physical environment, including staff. Social interactions or lack thereof are important for relationship development and mealtime environment. Describing the types of interaction and what influences them is a first step towards promoting social engagement which can enhance quality of life for residents. Further investigation through interviews with residents on the meaning of mealtime and companionship at meals will build a deeper understanding of the importance and influences on social interaction in this setting.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Resident interactions at mealtime: an exploratory study

Curle

Keller

2010

Eur J Ageing

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“…This approach has also been tested in an acute hospital setting (30) . Patients in acute care of the elderly wards allocated to the intervention were encouraged to take their meals in a dining room that was attended by a trained nursing assistant whose designated duty was to give encouragement and support as required.…”

Section: Meal Style and Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving the dietary intake of frail older people

Leslie

2011

Proc. Nutr. Soc.

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As a population subgroup, older people are more vulnerable to malnutrition especially those who are institutionalised. Recognition of deteriorating or poor nutritional status is key in reversing the effects of undernutrition and reinforces the value of regular weight checks and/or the use of screening tools. Commercially produced supplements are often the first option used to address undernutrition in both acute and community settings. They can be expensive and, although regularly prescribed, have undergone only limited evaluation of their effectiveness in community settings. An alternative but less researched approach to improve the nutritional status of undernourished people is food fortification. This approach may be particularly useful for older people, given their often small appetites. The ability to eat independently has been significantly related to decreased risk of undernutrition. Assisting people who have difficulty feeding themselves independently should become a designated duty and may be crucial in optimising nutritional status. Lack of nutrition knowledge has been identified as the greatest barrier to the provision of good nutritional care. Education and training of care staff are pivotal for the success of any intervention to address undernutrition. The development of undernutrition is a multi-factorial process and a package of approaches may be required to prevent or treat undernutrition. Nutrition must be at the forefront of care if national care standards are to be met.

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“…The importance of talking with patients and appropriate social interaction at mealtimes has been highlighted previously (McGlone et al 1995). A dining room setting allows the opportunity for more social interaction at meals, which can support better food intakes (Edwards & Hartwell 2004;Wright et al 2006).…”

Section: Eating Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observations of mealtimes in hospital aged care rehabilitation wards

et al. 2013

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Version:This is the authors' final version of a work that was accepted for publication in Appetite. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication.http://www.canberra.edu.au/ University of Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia, Switchboard +61 2 6201 5111. The University of Canberra is located on Ngunnawal Country. CRICOS number: University of Canberra / University of Canberra College #00212K.

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Eating together is important: using a dining room in an acute elderly medical ward increases energy intake

Abstract: Food intake can be improved by using a supervised dining room, and this will potentially lead to weight gain and corresponding improvements in nutritional status and rehabilitation.

Cited by 87 publications

References 7 publications

Resident interactions at mealtime: an exploratory study

Resident interactions at mealtime: an exploratory study

Improving the dietary intake of frail older people

Observations of mealtimes in hospital aged care rehabilitation wards

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