Stakeholder Engagement in Practice Change: Enabling Person-Centred Mealtime Experiences in Residential Care Homes

Can J Aging. 2021 Jun;40(2):248-262. doi: 10.1017/S0714980820000082. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Abstract

Person-centred care is recognized as best practice in dementia care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a stakeholder engagement practice change initiative aimed at increasing the provision of person-centred mealtimes in a residential care home (RCH). A single-group, time series design was used to assess the impact of the practice change initiative on mealtime environment across four time periods (pre-intervention, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up). Statistically significant improvements were noted in all mealtime environment scales by 6 months, including the physical environment (z = -3.06, p = 0.013), social environment (z = -3.69, p = 0.001), relationship and person-centred scale (z = -3.51, p = 0.003), and overall environment scale (z = -3.60, p = 0.002). This practice change initiative, which focused on enhancing stakeholder engagement, provided a feasible method for increasing the practice of person-centred care during mealtimes in an RCH through the application of supportive leadership, collaborative decision making, and staff engagement.

Keywords: aging; changement de culture; culture change; long-term care; nursing homes; person-centred care; quality of care; qualité des soins; résidences pour personnes âgées; soins axés sur la personne; soins de longue durée; vieillissement.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Meals
  • Nursing Homes
  • Patient-Centered Care*
  • Stakeholder Participation*