Journal article
Behavioral Challenges and Adaptive Strategies in Providing Mealtime Care to Residents With Dementia: A Qualitative Study of Nursing Home Clinical and Administrative Staff
Journal of applied gerontology
10/31/2025
DOI: 10.1177/07334648251391869
PMCID: PMC12889387
PMID: 41172263
Abstract
This study examined how nursing home staff adapt to challenging mealtime behaviors in residents with dementia, such as turning away or refusing food. Ten focus groups were conducted with 52 clinical and administrative staff from three southeastern U.S. nursing homes. Transcripts were analyzed using four key codes: feeding behaviors, interventions, training, and communication. Staff described a range of mealtime challenges, including cognitive and functional decline, dysphagia, and elopement. Feeding-related behaviors like refusing to eat reflect the complexity of care required. Staff reported adapting interventions based on residents’ abilities, their own interactions, or environmental factors. Most strategies aligned with evidence-based practices, though one novel tactic involved “sprinkling sugar” to stimulate appetite. Findings suggest that reframing feeding behaviors as communication may improve care and reinforces the need for tailored interventions. Differences in staff perspectives emphasize the value of cross-role collaboration in managing mealtime challenges and improving outcomes for residents with dementia.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Behavioral Challenges and Adaptive Strategies in Providing Mealtime Care to Residents With Dementia: A Qualitative Study of Nursing Home Clinical and Administrative Staff
- Creators
- Melissa Batchelor - George Washington UniversitySana Smaoui - Kuwait UniversityLígia Passos - University of AveiroWen Liu - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of applied gerontology
- DOI
- 10.1177/07334648251391869
- PMID
- 41172263
- PMCID
- PMC12889387
- NLM abbreviation
- J Appl Gerontol
- ISSN
- 0733-4648
- eISSN
- 1552-4523
- Publisher
- Sage
- Grant note
- National Institute of Nursing Research: P30NR014139 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars programNational Center for Gerontological Nursing Excellence Claire M. Fagin Fellowship
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The first author would like to acknowledge the support of the National Center for Gerontological Nursing Excellence Claire M. Fagin Fellowship (Batchelor, PI) and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NIH/P30NR014139, Anderson/Docherty, PIs), Duke University School of Nursing P30 Center of Excellence: Adaptive Leadership for Cognitive/Affective Symptom Science, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program (Batchelor, PI).
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 10/31/2025
- Academic Unit
- Nursing
- Record Identifier
- 9985024259302771
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