Description of the mealtime of older adults with dementia in a long-term care facility: A video analysis

This study analyzed the mealtime structure of older adults with dementia in long-term care facilities. The study conducted video observations at 2 long-term care facilities with 10 residents and 24 staff members, resulting in 41 dyads. The average mealtime duration was 12.21 +/- 5.16 minutes; the average time of a single intake was 0.21 +/- 0.21 minutes; and the median of the eating interval was 0.17 minutes. The average verbal assistance time was 1.41 +/- 1.31 minutes; the average verbal assistance frequency was short (23.92 +/- 15.50 times). During mealtime, residents had an average of 5.00 +/- 4.07 instances of failing to eat properly. The video analysis emphasized the necessity of implementing a mealtime assistance program that incorporates patient-centered education for the staff and ensures sufficient staffing to provide high-quality meals for residents in long-term care facilities.(c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)