Exploring and understanding perceptions and definitions of foodservice quality in residential aged care: A scoping review.

Aim: Identify and describe research that explores interest-holder perceptions and definitions of foodservice quality in residential aged care.

Methods: This review follows the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological framework for conducting scoping reviews and was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus were used to search for peer-reviewed literature. Grey literature was searched through Google and six Australian government sources. No restrictions were applied to methodology, year, or geographical location published. Findings were synthesised into distinct interest-holder and foodservice component groups using meta-synthesis.

Results: A total of 31 eligible texts, including peer-reviewed (n = 17) and grey literature (n = 14) were included in this review. Texts identifying perceptions (n = 23) were predominantly those of residents (n = 11) while definitions of quality (n = 13) were all described by researchers and experts. Despite some agreement that foodservice quality is associated with how acceptable food or meals are to residents, there is a lack of consensus on what defines quality, with none of the literature addressing quality across the whole foodservice system.

Conclusion: Published research and reports that examine the perspectives of interest-holders in residential aged care provided no consensus on definitions or clear sets of indicators defining foodservice quality. Further research is required to understand the perceptions of foodservice quality in order to guide the development and implementation of specific measures to support assessment and evaluation.