J Korean Acad Community Health Nurs.  2017 Dec;28(4):450-462. 10.12799/jkachn.2017.28.4.450.

An Intervention Study of Self-feeding for the Elderly in Nursing Homes

• Lee KH

• KMID: 2401759
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12799/jkachn.2017.28.4.450

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aims to investigate the effects of an intervention of self-feeding for elderly residents who were eating with assistance or eating by himself/herself with spilling food.
METHODS
The Participants were 11 elderly people and 6 formal caregivers from 7 nursing homes in Korea. The intervention was to use the spoon and chopstick sets designed for compensating the weakened eating function. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through observation, structured questions, and in-depth interviews.
RESULTS
The mealtime was significantly increased by 3.2 minutes (p=.011) after the intervention. Three themes were extracted for the meaning of self-feeding expressed by the elders; fighting alone for self-feeding, pride of participating in the study, and burden for self-feeding and research participation. Caregivers expressed the meaning of the elder's self-feeding such as the regret of missed chances, facilitating rehabilitation, the increase of the eating pleasure and quality of care, and ambivalence.
CONCLUSION
Self-feeding has become an opportunity to recognize life values for the elders in nursing homes; for the caregivers, to reconsider caring of the elderly. Posture and eating utensils were also important to improve self-feeding skills.

Keyword

Feeding behavior; Food assistance; Aged; Caregivers; Nursing homes

MeSH Terms

Aged*
Caregivers
Cooking and Eating Utensils
Eating
Feeding Behavior
Food Assistance
Humans
Korea
Meals
Nursing Homes*
Nursing*
Pleasure
Posture
Rehabilitation