Effectiveness of an educational intervention on mealtime support needs for people with dementia in residential care facilities: A cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Background: People with dementia face numerous challenges during mealtimes, including difficulties with food intake, cutlery use, and maintaining attention. These can lead to severe consequences such as malnutrition and aspiration pneumonia, affecting the well-being of these individuals.

Aim: To determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving mealtime support needs and enhancing the well-being of both individuals with dementia and direct care workers.

Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in four residential care facilities. The study involved direct care workers and residents with dementia, with facilities randomly assigned to either an intervention or control group. The intervention comprised three weekly 2-hour training sessions, focusing on dementia-related mealtime challenges and practical support strategies. Data were collected at baseline and one-week post-intervention using questionnaires and observational tools to assess caregivers' skills, burnout levels, and job satisfaction, as well as residents' mealtime behavior and food intake.

Results: Direct care workers from the intervention group showed significant improvements in knowledge (p < .001; d = 0.728) and skills (p < .001; d = 0.842) compared to the control group. Additionally, there were notable reductions in burnout levels (p = .001; d = 0.466) and higher job satisfaction (p = .003; d = 0.410). People with dementia in the intervention group demonstrated better performance at mealtimes.

Conclusion: The educational intervention effectively enhanced direct care workers' abilities to support people with dementia during mealtimes, leading to better outcomes for both caregivers and residents. Implementing such training programs can improve care quality and alleviate challenges in dementia care.