Food is available in easy-to-grip bites that allow residents in care settings to use their fingers for food. This new way of eating can help limit weight loss, increase food intake, gain independence and improve the enjoyment of eating for residents.
According to the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS), undernutrition affects between 15 and 38% of elderly people living in institutions and between 50 and 60% of hospitalized elderly people. In addition, a significant decrease in satisfaction with meals was observed with increasing level of dependence. The objective of the study is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing the finger food in care settings that could have a positive impact on the nutritional status of elderly people living in EHPAD.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
eat-hands type food mode
Usual eating mode
EHPAD " Val de Brenne " Site : Auzouer en Touraine
Château-Renault, France
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGEHPAD L'ERMITAGE-CHU de TOURS
Tours, France
RECRUITINGAudit & Questionnaire of feasibility
Feasibility of implementing finger food for elderly patients in care settings will be evaluate with audit and questionnaire for caregivers by a dietician independent of the study.
Time frame: After 3 patients included and at the end of study (6 months)
Weight
Weight in kilograms
Time frame: Every two weeks during 6 months
Food consumption
Each week, a semi-quantitative evaluation of food intake will be performed for 3 days on a specific form (validated by the Francophone Society of Clinical and Metabolic Nutrition ). Every month, dietician will analyze these forms.
Time frame: Each week during 6 months
Autonomy (EBS)
Autonomy for food intake will be assessed by the Eating Behavior Scale - EBS (Tully MW, Matrakas KL, Muir J, Musallam K. The Eating Behavior Scale. A simple method of assessing functional ability in patients with Alzheimer's disease. J Gerontol Nurs. 1997 Jul;23(7):9-15; quiz 54-5. doi: 10.3928/0098-9134-19970701-08. PMID: 9287601) by a dietetician. The scores on this scale range from 0 to 18 : 18 is the best score, which means that the person is completely independent in eating.
Time frame: Every month during 6 months
Eating pleasure
An evaluation of the pleasure of eating will be carried out once a month by the dietician via an hedonic scale with 3 face symbols: smiling face - neutral face - disappointed face.
Time frame: Every month during 6 months
False routes
The occurrence of false routes will be collected throughout the study.
Time frame: Every week during 6 months
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