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Staffing and the mealtime experience of nursing home residents on a Special Care Unit

University of California, San Francisco; Department of Physiological Nursing & Medical Anthropology Program, San Francisco, California.

Ellen S. Schell, RN, PhD

Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, California.

As part of a study that examined the social, cultural, clinical, and environmental factors that influence eating behavior in nursing homes, the effect of staffing on the mealtime experience of residents in a Special Care Unit (SCU) for dementia patients was investigated. An adequate staff to resident ratio, the presence of a knowledgeable and skillful nursing assistant who was an excellent role model, and sufficient supervision positively affected the experience of residents, making lunchtime a pleasant and nourishing event. In the evening, however; overtaxed and poorly supervised aides resorted to strategies that made dinnertime a hurried, unpleasant experience and put residents under duress. A discussion of how to provide extra help at mealtime, improve the education and training of staff, and enhance supervision at mealtime is presented.

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