Resident and staff ratings of foodservices in long-term care: Implications for autonomy and quality of life

Foodservices contribute to the health status, quality of life, and autonomy of long-term care (LTC) residents, yet malnutrition is prevalent. To improve nutritional status, LTC facilities should determine which aspects of foodservices are important to residents and which provoke the most dissatisfaction. Because staff control foodservices, it is equally important to examine their beliefs. Data were collected from nine LTC facilities in Quebec. Means and t tests of differences between residents' (n = 69) and staff's (n = 52) mean importance and satisfaction rankings of 29 foodservice items are presented. Although residents rated foodservice choice and autonomy items lower in importance, these items were generally less satisfied. Staff consistently overrated both importance and satisfaction among residents. Specific recommendations for foodservice quality improvements are discussed in relation to residents' quality of life, autonomy, and nutritional status.