3171 Better mealtimes for people living with dementia in care homes: a feasibility study

Abstract

Introduction Some people living with dementia have difficulties at mealtimes, with significant implications for physical and mental health (Abdelhamid et al., 2016). Care home staff provide direct care at mealtimes (Skills for Care, 2015), but there is a shortage of high-quality dementia care training focusing on mealtimes (Fetherstonhaugh et al., 2019). This study tested the feasibility and acceptability of an evidence-based training programme promoting better mealtime care for people living with dementia (Faraday et al., 2022). Method The study comprised a before-and-after design using multiple methods of data collection and analysis. The qualitative arm of the study is reported here. The training programme was delivered in three care homes in the UK, chosen for differences in context, size and ownership. Trainees were recruited from a range of different roles across the homes, including care staff, kitchen staff and management staff. After training, participants attended focus groups to elicit views on their experience of the training and suggestions for improvement. Data from the focus groups were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022). Results Analysis to date has generated five themes: Need a mix of experience in the room; More dementia-specific content; Make the most of group discussions; Scenarios should be nuanced and complex; One-day delivery is easiest; Facilitator experience and skill outweighs profession. These themes will inform modification of the training programme’s content and format, to increase its acceptability and usefulness to care home staff, prior to wider roll-out and evaluation. At the same time, a short animation has been co-produced with experts by experience to convey key messages from the training as accessibly as possible (https://vimeo.com/1009856313). Conclusion(s) This study has reduced uncertainty about the training programme’s acceptability, so that it is more likely to become embedded in practice and improve mealtime care for people living with dementia.