Promoting quality care for older people in meal management: whose responsibility is it?

Abstract

Objective: To examine the role of registered nurses and allied health workers in meal management, assessment, safe environment and care planning for older people in residential aged care.

Primary Argument: Nurses and carers are often the first to observe and put into place strategies to prevent choking in residents with swallowing difficulties. Coroners’ reports have raised issues with regard to the role of the registered nurse, resident autonomy and the effectiveness of speech pathologist assessments in avoiding incidents that compromise resident’s health and well being.

Conclusions: In residential aged care the role of the registered nurse involves managing a complex environment. In the area of meal management, nurses are struggling to have their knowledge and expertise recognised. Nurses need to develop strategies to articulate and demonstrate their contribution to meal management in order to promote their knowledge and skills. Nurses must actively continue to develop their body of knowledge through research; otherwise ‘expert’ knowledge will be accessed from elsewhere. This paper will outline a number of areas for future development and research which focuses on the needs of older people and staff in this area.