A Comparative Analysis on the Management Performance of Meal Service with or without a Dietitian at the Day and Night Care Centers

This study is the secondary data analysis using data collected from 710 day care centers for the elderly for the research on Meal Service Management of long-term care institutions carried out by National Health Insurance Service(NHIS) in the Republic of Korea in 2020. The purpose of the study was to analyze the current status of dietitian meal service at day care center, where the recipients are under the long-term care insurance. The main results are as follows. First, the dietitian placement at day care centers was statistically significantly related to the ownership, size, and operation type of the centers. Second, in the case of a dietitian, the proportion of responses that there is the meal service quality management manager was significantly higher. The percentage the dietitian who answered that they were responsible for meal service quality management was statistically significantly higher as well. Third, the ratio of day care center to consigned meals was 30.6%, which was higher than 25.0% of long-term care facilities and 11.5% of elderly group homes. Based on this, the following suggestions were made to improve the quality of meal services of day care centers: to manage the meal service by professional personnel, such as dietitians, to prepare operation standards and quality management plans for consigned meals, and to research and develop policies for meal services.