title: Enhancing the dining experience in long-term care: Dining with Dignity program.
abstract: Nursing home residents nationwide are at nutritional risk as the result of physical, social and environmental factors. The Dining with Dignity program integrates long-term care residents, staff, community volunteers and occupational therapy students to improve residents' nutritional intake. Volunteers are trained to provide one-on-one assistance during meals and to promote a positive dining experience as organized by the theory of Social Support. Resident satisfaction with meals and improved nutritional status are important outcomes as is volunteer commitment to the program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, Eastern Kentucky University, 521 Lancaster Avenue, Richmond, KY 40475, USA. dory.marken@eku.edu
authors.forename: Dory
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marken
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005522:Food Services / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D005791:Patient Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012944:Social Support; D014838:Volunteers / Q000193:education