Quali sono i problemi che impediscono o interrompono la regolare assunzione di cibo in sala da pranzo tra gli anziani nelle case di riposo?

Introduction: Nursing home residents are encouraged to eat their meals in the dining room. A systematic mapping of events that could either temporarily or completely hinder or disrupt the meals in a dining room is lacking. Objective: To describe the characteristics and frequency of events that interfere with normal meal taking in older adults in the dining room with others. Method: Secondary analysis of observational data from a previous study, including four nursing homes where 153 residents were observed during six randomized lunch sessions. All events that disrupted or interrupted the normal flow of the mealtime were documented and categorized through qualitative analysis. Results: A total of 918 observations were conducted: in 118 observations (12,9%), the residents did not eat in the dining room due to clinical reasons or personal preferences (73; 61.9%) or due to enemas (45; 38.1%). Of the remaining 800 observations, in 117 residents (76.5%) between 1 and 10 events occurred, with a median of 2. The most frequently observed behaviors included distraction (42, 16.7%), refusal to eat (41, 16.3%), drowsiness (39, 15.5%), severe coughing (32, 12.7%), and loss of food from the mouth (30, 12%). Some events regularly occurred, others varied across observations. Conclusion: Nursing home dining rooms are not only places for socializing but also represent complex environments that require constant attention, targeted interventions and care decisions that go beyond basic nutritional support.