journal articles
THE EFFECT OF A STRUCTURED NUTRITIONAL CARE PROGRAMME IN SWEDISH NURSING HOMES
C. Lannering, L. Johansson, M. Ernsth Bravell
Jour Nursing Home Res 2017;3:64-70
Objective: Malnutrition with consequent weight loss is a well-known problem among older frail persons living in nursing homes. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a structured preventive care programme including an individualized nutrition plan. Design: A retrospective study, based on already collected data from two different nursing home populations. One population constituted a group of nursing home residents receiving the nutritional care programme (ncp-group), including individually performed nutritions actions. The ncp-group (N=135) was registered in the national quality registry Senior Alert (SA), a platform for following of this preventive care process. The other population constituted a group of nursing home residents receiving “care as usual” (n=186), ie not using the nutritional care programme, collected from the study SHADES. The two populations was compared by a quasi-experimental pre-posttest design with a follow-up time of 5–7 months. Settings: Nursing homes in Sweden. Participants: Two populations of nursing home residents assessed to be at risk for malnutrition, or to be already malnourished, according to the short form of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF). Intervention: The ncp-group received a structured, individually targeted care programme including risk assessments, team-based decisions on actions, and evaluation of results. Measurements: Body weight and weight changes were monitored over time. Additionally, nutritional status was described using the MNA-SF scores and body mass index (BMI). Results: No statistically significant differences in body weight, MNA-SF or BMI between the groups were found at follow-up. However, within-group analyses in the group followed in SA showed improved outcomes. Conclusion: This suggest small differences in nutritional care provided at nursing homes working with SA and “care as usual” in nursing homes, not working with SA.
CITATION:
C. Lannering ; L. Johansson ; M. Ernsth Bravell (2017): The effect of a structured nutritional care programme in Swedish nursing homes. The Journal of Nursing Home Research Science (JNHRS). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jnhrs.2017.11