Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Centre for Research in Health and Social Care, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Health Expect. 2024 Feb;27(1):e13943. doi: 10.1111/hex.13943.
This study aimed to explore the perceptions of Meals on Wheels (MoWs) service users (SUs), and people who refer them to MoWs ('referrers'), with accessing and commencing the service in England, the barriers that might hinder service uptake, and what information would be valued when considering accessing the service.
Semistructured interviews were conducted in May-July 2022 with seven SUs and 21 referrers, recruited from four MoWs providers across England. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Participants indicated various pathways into the service, but referrers (family members) were more likely to be the ones enquiring about, and commencing, MoWs for SUs. Once an enquiry about MoWs had been made, the service was perceived as straightforward to set up. However, existing preconceptions and stereotypes were perceived to act as barriers to accessing MoWs. Information that participants deemed important to have available when deciding on whether to access MoWs related to the meals, the specific services provided, the reliability and flexibility of delivery and the cost of services.
These findings could inform MoWs service providers' public awareness strategies about MoWs, to facilitate referrals to the service for adults with care and support needs.
An advisory group of people with lived experience of MoWs (users of the service and their family referrers) extensively discussed the findings of the research and advised on the implications and future dissemination steps.
本研究旨在探索英国上门送餐服务（Meals on Wheels，MoWs）服务使用者（SU）和推荐他们使用 MoWs 的人（推荐者）对该服务的认知，包括使用和开始使用该服务的途径、可能阻碍服务使用的障碍，以及考虑使用该服务时会看重哪些信息。
2022 年 5 月至 7 月，在英格兰的四个上门送餐服务提供商中，对 7 名服务使用者和 21 名推荐者进行了半结构式访谈。使用归纳主题分析对数据进行分析。
参与者表示有多种途径可以使用该服务，但推荐者（家庭成员）更有可能询问并为 SU 启动上门送餐服务。一旦有人询问上门送餐服务，该服务的设置就被认为是简单直接的。然而，现有的先入之见和刻板印象被认为是使用该服务的障碍。参与者认为在决定是否使用上门送餐服务时，有一些重要的信息需要提供，包括餐食、提供的具体服务、交付的可靠性和灵活性以及服务费用。
这些发现可以为上门送餐服务提供商制定关于上门送餐服务的公众意识策略提供信息，以促进有护理和支持需求的成年人向该服务的转介。
一个由有上门送餐服务（服务使用者及其家庭推荐者）生活经验的人组成的咨询小组广泛讨论了研究结果，并就研究结果的影响和未来的传播步骤提出了建议。
