Making the Most of Mealtimes (M3): Association Between Relationship-Centered Care Practices, and Number of Staff and Residents at Mealtimes in Canadian Long-Term Care Homes
To determine if (1) number of staff or residents, when considering home-level factors and presence of family/volunteers, are associated with relationship-centered care practices at mealtimes in general and dementia care units in long-term care (LTC); and (2) the association between number of staff a...
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Published in | Journal of the American Medical Directors Association Vol. 22; no. 9; p. 1927 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
01.09.2021
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get more information |
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Summary: | To determine if (1) number of staff or residents, when considering home-level factors and presence of family/volunteers, are associated with relationship-centered care practices at mealtimes in general and dementia care units in long-term care (LTC); and (2) the association between number of staff and relationship-centered care is moderated by number of residents and family/volunteers, profit status or chain affiliation.
Secondary analysis of the Making the Most of Mealtimes (M3) cross-sectional multisite study.
Thirty-two Canadian LTC homes (Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick) and 639 residents were recruited. Eighty-two units were included, with 58 being general and 24 being dementia care units.
Trained research coordinators completed the Mealtime Scan (MTS) for LTC at 4 to 6 mealtimes in each unit to determine number of staff, residents, and family or volunteers present. Relationship-centered care was assessed using the Mealtime Relational Care Checklist. The director of care or food services manager completed a home survey describing home sector and chain affiliation. Multivariable analyses were stratified by type of unit.
In general care units, the number of residents was negatively (P = .009), and number of staff positively (P < .001) associated with relationship-centered care (F
= 5.48, P < .001). For dementia care units, the associations were nonsignificant (F
= 2.74, P = .05). The association between staffing and relationship-centered care was not moderated by any variables in either general or dementia care units.
Number of staff in general care units may increase relationship-centered care at mealtimes in LTC. Number of residents or staff did not significantly affect relationship-centered care in dementia care units, suggesting that other factors such as additional training may better explain relationship-centered care in these units. Mandating minimum staffing and additional training at the federal level should be considered to ensure that staff have the capacity to deliver relationship-centered care at mealtimes, which is considered a best practice. |
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ISSN: | 1538-9375 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.11.020 |