An appealing meal: Creating conditions for older persons' mealtimes - a focus group study with healthcare professionals

Background Healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes may have an impact on older persons' nutritional status. Therefore, it is important to explore different healthcare professionals' perspectives on older persons' meals. Aim The aim of this study was to describe healthcare professionals' understanding of and views on the mealtime experience of older persons in municipal care. Methods Seven focus group discussions with various healthcare professionals (nurse assistants, registered nurses and occupational therapists) (n = 52) working in nursing homes and/or home care for older persons were conducted and analysed using interpretive description. The COREQ checklist was used for reporting the findings. Results The results revealed a striving to create conditions for an appealing meal, regardless of profession. This overall theme, 'An appealing meal - creating conditions for older persons' mealtimes', consisted of four sub-themes: 'Food is crucial', 'The mealtime as a social interaction', 'Identifying the individual older person's needs' and 'Integrating different perspectives of meal-related situations among the team'. Conclusion The findings show that the different professionals strive to prioritise meals in the everyday care of older persons, but at same time there is a lack of a common view on how to prioritise meal-related issues. This indicates that the care may be fragmented, being based on each professional's duties and interpretation of responsibility for older persons' meals, rather than constituting comprehensive integrated person-centred care provided by a multidisciplinary team. Relevance to clinical practice To enhance older persons' mealtimes, we need to map how mealtimes are valued and implemented in clinical practice and approached in healthcare professionals' education. Education on older person's nutritional needs should be team-based, and not focus on the perspective of a single profession.