Watkins Ross, Goodwin Victoria A, Abbott Rebecca A, Hall Abi, Tarrant Mark
University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK.
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC), South West Peninsula, UK.
BMC Geriatr. 2017 Jul 11;17(1):141. doi: 10.1186/s12877-017-0540-2.
Many interventions aim to alleviate well-documented problems of malnutrition in residential care homes and improve residents' health and wellbeing. Despite some positive findings, little is known about how and why mealtime interventions might be effective, and in particular, what effects residents' experiences of mealtimes have on health outcomes. The aim of this study was to gain an insight into these experiences and explore some of the issues that may impact on residents' enjoyment of meals, and resulting health and wellbeing.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven residents from four care homes in the South West UK. Thematic analysis was used to derive content and meaning from transcribed interviews. Interviews were supplemented by researcher observations of mealtimes.
The dining experience was a focal point for participants' broader experiences of residing in a care home. Three themes pertaining to residents' experiences were identified: (1) Emotional and psychological connections with other residents; (2) managing competing interests with limited resources; and (3) familiarity and routine.
Mealtimes are a mainstay of life in a care home through which residents' experiences are characterised, exemplified and magnified. Understanding how residents interact with one another, accommodating their preferences and encouraging autonomy may enhance their mealtime experiences. It may also help to ease the transition from independent-living to life in care, which can be particularly stressful for some residents, and improve health and wellbeing over the long-term.
许多干预措施旨在缓解寄宿护理院中记录详尽的营养不良问题，并改善居民的健康和福祉。尽管有一些积极的研究结果，但对于用餐干预措施如何以及为何可能有效，尤其是居民用餐体验对健康结果有何影响，我们知之甚少。本研究的目的是深入了解这些体验，并探讨一些可能影响居民用餐乐趣以及由此产生的健康和福祉的问题。
对英国西南部四家护理院的11名居民进行了半结构化访谈。采用主题分析法从转录的访谈中提取内容和意义。访谈还辅以研究人员对用餐时间的观察。
用餐体验是参与者在护理院更广泛居住体验的焦点。确定了与居民体验相关的三个主题：(1) 与其他居民的情感和心理联系；(2) 用有限资源处理相互冲突的利益；(3) 熟悉感和日常惯例。
用餐时间是护理院生活的支柱，通过它居民的体验得以体现、例证和放大。了解居民之间如何互动、适应他们的偏好并鼓励自主性，可能会提升他们的用餐体验。这也可能有助于缓解从独立生活到护理院生活的过渡，这对一些居民来说可能特别有压力，并长期改善健康和福祉。
