Page 61 - Petelin, Ana, Nejc Šarabon, eds. 2018. Zdravje starostnikov ▪︎ Health of the Elderly. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo ▪︎ Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 61
d and meals perceptions of the elderly in nursing home problemi in izzivi v prehrani starostnikov | nutrition problems and challenges in the elderly
context: a pilot study
Doroteja Rebec, Kaja Erjavec, Tamara Poklar Vatovec, Katarina Babnik
University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, SI-Polje 42, 6310 Izola,
Slovenia
Introduction: Nutritional studies of elderly confirm the vulnerability of this
group especially in institutional care. In the study, we therefore focused on var-
ious aspects of food and diet perceptions of elderly in the nursing home.
Methods: The questionnaire included 15 closed (demographics, perceived
quantity and quality of food, different aspects of satisfaction with the diet) and
open-ended items (eating habits before entering the nursing home, sugges-
tions for improvements). The instrument was piloted on a sample (n=34) of el-
derly in Slovenian nursing home. The descriptive statistics and qualitative anal-
ysis were used for data analysis.
Results: In the average, participants rated the highest satisfaction (1-absolute-
ly unsatisfied; 5- absolutely satisfied) with food appearance (x=4,11; s=0.64),
meals serving (x=4,43; s=0.50), with the possibility to consume the meals in
a cultural and calm manner (x=4.48; s=0.50), and with behaviour of nurs-
ing home staff during food distribution (x= 4.54; s=0.50). The taste (x=3.84;
s=0.71) and the amount of food (x=3.87; s=0.78) were the lowest rated as-
pects of satisfaction. The open responses showed that participants assess the
quality of food and diet in relation with their past eating habits.
Discussion and conclusions: Food is an important factor of the quality of life in
nursing homes. An individualised approach with taking into account elderly eat-
ing habits from the time before entering nursing home is needed.
Keywords: elderly, holistic approach, eating habits, institutional care
59
context: a pilot study
Doroteja Rebec, Kaja Erjavec, Tamara Poklar Vatovec, Katarina Babnik
University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, SI-Polje 42, 6310 Izola,
Slovenia
Introduction: Nutritional studies of elderly confirm the vulnerability of this
group especially in institutional care. In the study, we therefore focused on var-
ious aspects of food and diet perceptions of elderly in the nursing home.
Methods: The questionnaire included 15 closed (demographics, perceived
quantity and quality of food, different aspects of satisfaction with the diet) and
open-ended items (eating habits before entering the nursing home, sugges-
tions for improvements). The instrument was piloted on a sample (n=34) of el-
derly in Slovenian nursing home. The descriptive statistics and qualitative anal-
ysis were used for data analysis.
Results: In the average, participants rated the highest satisfaction (1-absolute-
ly unsatisfied; 5- absolutely satisfied) with food appearance (x=4,11; s=0.64),
meals serving (x=4,43; s=0.50), with the possibility to consume the meals in
a cultural and calm manner (x=4.48; s=0.50), and with behaviour of nurs-
ing home staff during food distribution (x= 4.54; s=0.50). The taste (x=3.84;
s=0.71) and the amount of food (x=3.87; s=0.78) were the lowest rated as-
pects of satisfaction. The open responses showed that participants assess the
quality of food and diet in relation with their past eating habits.
Discussion and conclusions: Food is an important factor of the quality of life in
nursing homes. An individualised approach with taking into account elderly eat-
ing habits from the time before entering nursing home is needed.
Keywords: elderly, holistic approach, eating habits, institutional care
59
