Family members' preferences for nutrition interventions to improve nursing home residents' oral food and fluid intake.

Abstract

To measure family members' preferences for nutrition interventions to improve the oral food and fluid intake of their relatives in a nursing home. Cross-sectional descriptive. Three skilled nursing facilities in Southern California. One hundred five residents from the three skilled nursing facilities and their respective family members. A mailed questionnaire to family members that consisted of 15 forced-choice comparisons between six nutrition interventions. An assessment of oral food and fluid intake during mealtime for 3 days (nine meals) for each participant using direct observations and estimations of percentage consumed (0% to 100%) by trained research staff. In order of most to least desirable, the family members preferred the following interventions to improve their relative's oral food and fluid intake: (1) improve quality of food; (2) improve quality and quantity of feeding assistance; (3) provide multiple small meals and snacks throughout the day; (4) place resident in preferred dining location; (5) provide an oral liquid nutritional supplement between meals; and (6) provide a medication to stimulate appetite. The average +/- standard deviation total percentage intake for residents whose family members reported that they thought their relative had a problem with their intake was 50%+/- 16%. Family members prefer that other nutrition interventions be attempted before the use of oral supplements or pharmacological approaches. Family members perceive a need for interventions when residents consume, on average, only half of the food and fluid items provided during mealtime.