Resistance to Eating in People with Dementia Living in Long-term Care Facilities: Gaps between Common and Good Practices.

OBJECTIVES

The present study aims to explore the perception of common and best practices for dealing with resistance to eating of persons with dementia living in long-term care facilities.

METHODS

Forty-two staff members working in long-term care facilities were interviewed. They worked in four Spanish long-term care facilities; 21 were nursing assistants and 21 technical staff. Participants heard a vignette in which person with dementia showed resistance to eating. Participants were asked how a situation like that is commonly managed by their workmates, and how the situation should be managed. Responses were content-analyzed.

RESULTS

Strategies mentioned by participants were quite diverse and did not converge on common ground that harmonizes their responses. Less than half of the participants considered person-centered strategies as a best practice. Those strategies were lower on assistant carers, compared to technical staff.

CONCLUSIONS

Resistance to eating is a common situation faced by professionals. Nonetheless, there is not a common procedure to deal with this situation. Resistance to eating was seen more as a problem to be eradicated than a behavior to be understood.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Staff development initiatives are necessary in relation to mealtime situations. They should consider work position and competencies needed by assistant carers.