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.