INSIGHTS INTO IMPLEMENTING A RELATIONSHIP-CENTRED MEALTIME INTERVENTION FOR CANADIAN LONG-TERM CARE

Mealtimes are an important aspect of quality of life for residents in long-term care (LTC). Interventions aimed at improving mealtimes often give little attention to the quality of relationships between care staff and residents, and are designed with a single-strategy approach. C.H.O.I.C.E. is a multi-component (i.e., education, training, leadership, communication) intervention to improve relationship-centred care (RCC) and overall mealtime experience for residents in LTC. The current study evaluates the implementation of a proof-of-concept relationship-centred mealtime intervention through understanding the perspectives of participating LTC management and care staff. C.H.O.I.C.E was implemented (April-November 2016) within two units of a LTC home in Southern Ontario, Canada. Data were collected post-intervention using staff and management key informant semi-structured interviews (n=9), which focused on mealtime changes, intervention components, implementation strategies, and program sustainability. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Preliminary findings provide several insights into the program and the implementation process: i) Knowing the context and culture to meet staff and resident needs; ii) Getting everyone on board, including management; iii) Keeping communication lines open throughout the process; iv) Sharing responsibility and accountability for mealtime goals and challenges; v) Empowering and supporting staff’s creative mealtime initiatives. Participants identified multiple benefits from the program, most notably an enhanced appreciation for the importance of meals and an increase in meaningful socialization with residents. Our research illustrates the value of C.H.O.I.C.E. and its capacity to improve RCC and residents’ mealtime experiences. Findings will inform the next phase of program development.