“A Bone of Contention…”: Perceived Barriers and Situational Dependencies to Food Preferences of Nursing Home Residents

Abstract

This study investigated barriers to fulfilling food preferences from nursing home (NH) residents’ perspectives, and the reasons preferences changed (situational dependencies). Interviews were completed with 255 residents in 28 NHs across greater Philadelphia, PA using six food items from the Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory-NH (PELI-NH). Participants were predominantly white (77%), female (67.8%), and widowed (44%) with high school educations (48%). Content analysis was used to identify n = 386 barriers and n = 57 situational dependencies. Participants reported provider policies and staff proficiency as environmental barriers to preference fulfillment regarding what, when, and where to eat. Perceived health and personal resources were barriers to obtaining snacks, take-out, and dining out. Situational dependencies resulted from residents’ perceived health and quality of family relationships. Results have implications for providers to centralize food preference fulfillment in care planning, and to use food preferences to address dining quality concerns.

Keywords:

• Food preferences
• older adults
• long-term care
• nursing homes
• person-centered care

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Karen Eshraghi and Christina Duntzee, the research team members who worked diligently to collect this data, and the older adults who participated in the project.

Additional information

Funding

This work was made possible by generous funding from an NINR grant (R21NR011334: PI Van Haitsma). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Nursing Research, the National Institutes of Health.