Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Perspectives on Nutrition-Related Caregiver Training to Support Family Caregivers of Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Study.

BackgroundOlder adults with diet-related chronic conditions often rely on family caregivers to implement dietary modifications in the home. However, little is known about dietitians' perspectives on formal caregiver training or the types of education they perceive as being important to provide to caregivers.ObjectiveTo evaluate Registered Dietitian Nutritionists' (RDNs') perceptions of caregiver-directed training, assess their likelihood of providing caregiver training, and identify the types of support they would provide.MethodsWe conducted an online survey with 88 U.S. RDNs to evaluate RDNs' likelihood of providing caregiver training, concerns about the training, and types of support they anticipate providing. Then, we interviewed 10 RDNs to further examine specific types of content areas for such a training.ResultsRDNs (76.9%) were likely/very likely to provide caregiver training. RDNs anticipated providing general and condition-specific nutrition education and shopping/meal preparation skills training. Findings suggest potential for RDNs to implement structured caregiver training.