A Qualitative Analysis of the Delivery of Person-Centered Nutrition to Asian Americans With Dementia in the Adult Day Health Care Setting

Adult day service centers (ADSCs) provide community-based long-term care, including meals, to racially diverse older adults, 47% of whom have dementia and consequently experience elevated nutritional risk. We examine nutritional behaviors for Chinese and Vietnamese persons living with dementia (PLWD) in ADSCs and evaluate the extent to which ADSCs provide person-centered nutritional care. Multi-stakeholder interviews were conducted. Data were coded using Dedoose and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-step method. The Model for the Provision of Good Nutritional Care in Dementia guided analysis. Barriers to food intake included distracting meal environment, rigid mealtimes, and excessively restrictive diets. Conversely, peer relationships, culturally tailored meals and celebrations, and consistent staff assisting with feeding benefited PLWD. ADSCs can support healthy nutritional behaviors and quality of life among PLWD through person-centered nutritional care. To optimize nutritional services, further exploration is needed with respect to the ADSC environment, users’ culture and ethnicity, and liberalized diets for PLWD.