The impact of using an authentic patient video on health professional students' attitudes toward interprofessional and person-centered care.

Authentic patient activities in an interprofessional education (IPE) setting can develop collaborative, practice ready health professionals who have the skills to work within and across teams with patients at the center of their care. In this qualitative study, the student experience of a novel interprofessional case study activity, with lived experience content delivered via an authentic patient video was explored. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and identified three major themes: (a) from disease-centered to person-centered care, (b) reflecting on roles in interprofessional collaborative practice, and (c) teamwork and lived experience facilitates learning. When considered within the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) framework, the student experience suggested positive change in all four core competencies: interprofessional communication, values and ethics, roles and responsibilities and teamwork. In addition, students highly valued the interprofessional learning experience, and the patient video created a more realistic case study by reducing clinical assumptions. In conclusion, a short, single exposure to a written case followed by an authentic patient video in an IPE setting had an immediate positive impact on entry-level student health professionals. This simple methodology is a viable way of bringing the authentic patient voice into the classroom with additional benefit from the interprofessional format.

Nutrition employability and graduate readiness: The Australian Working in Nutrition study.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition science graduates contribute to the nutrition workforce by bringing specialist knowledge and skills needed to address future food challenges. This study aims to provide a snapshot of the current employment landscape for nutrition science graduates in Australia and how well their degrees prepare them for employment. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey of Australian tertiary nutrition graduates was conducted to explore tertiary training, employment pathways and their perceived preparedness for practice. RESULTS: This study included a final sample of 119 graduates from 17 Australian tertiary institutions. Almost two-thirds of respondents had completed further training. Most graduates (77%, n = 91) had worked in a food, nutrition science or health-related role after their degree; the most frequently cited employment settings were government or public health organisations; research, not-for-profit or nongovernment organisations; and the food industry. Work-integrated learning was identified as a key predictor of graduates working in a role that differed from their expectations as a student. The skill categories developed during nutrition training that were most valued in the workplace included nutrition and scientific knowledge, and professional and communication skills. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers first insights into the current employment landscape for nutrition graduates across Australia. Findings show that current nutrition science professionals are highly qualified and prepared to navigate the evolving demands of nutrition practice. Regular review of graduate employment will inform nutrition science curriculum to enable graduates to be well equipped in the face of dynamic practice settings.

Nutrition and diabetes self-management in aged care: Exploring community-dwelling older adults' expectations.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the diabetes self-management expectations of older adults with diabetes, not yet accessing residential aged care services. Admission to residential aged care (RAC) can create many interruptions to usual food choices and diabetes self-management, and we know little about the concerns of the emerging ageing population. METHODS: This is a qualitative study employing focus groups and inductive thematic analysis involving 18 older adults with diabetes between the ages of 60 and 88, living in their own homes within an Australian city. Focus groups were recruited on a sequential basis and progressively analysed using an inductive process until data saturation was reached. Focus groups were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim for thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three key themes were generated: autonomy, individualised dietary management and the food service system. Older adults speculated that they would want a collaborative approach to maintain their health in ageing and to self-manage their diabetes while feasible. Participants wanted autonomy over food choices, flexible meal timings and quality meals. There was a significant anxiety that aged care staff and existing food service systems in RAC could not support these preferences. CONCLUSIONS: Community-dwelling older adults with diabetes would highly value aged care services that facilitated autonomy, individualised nutrition support and flexibility, but feared this will not be feasible. The introduction of new diabetes and RAC guidelines may require an implementation plan to include the full food service system, from staff education to meal preparation, ordering and service.

A scoping review of best practice guidelines for the dietary management of diabetes in older adults in residential aged care.

Over the last two decades guidelines have been published on the subject of the care and liberalised nutrition management of older adults with diabetes in residential aged care, recognising that they may have different needs to those older adults in their own home. This study aimed to scope and appraise these guidelines using the AGREE II tool. Overall physician developed guidelines were more robust, but there was discordance in their recommendations compared to guidelines developed by dietitians; particularly regarding the use of therapeutic diets. A lack of standardised approach has implications for optimal dietary management of diabetes in aged care.

The role of dietitians in residential aged care: How do cooks and chefs perceive their contribution?

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore how dietitians could work with cooks and chefs to contribute to best practice. METHODS: Data from interviews and focus groups comprising 38 chefs, cooks and food service managers were analysed. Inductive line-by-line coding of transcripts was conducted within a critical realist framework. Coding was completed independently by two authors before reaching consensus on themes. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged: (i) knowledge sharing; (ii) communication; (iii) collaboration; and (iv) accessibility. Participants praised dietitians' knowledge and expertise, but some raised concerns about inconsistency in the advice they received. CONCLUSION: Dietitians working in residential aged care are ideally positioned to act as advocates for residents and food services. However, findings suggest that experiences of working with dietitians are mixed. Aged care menu guidelines and quality measures could assist, not only in promoting a consistent approach to dietetic advice, but also a system for benchmarking satisfaction and best practice.

How Widely are Supportive and Flexible Food Service Systems and Mealtime Interventions Used for People in Residential Care Facilities? A Comparison of Dementia-Specific and Nonspecific Facilities.

While improved mealtime practices can reduce agitation, improve quality of life, and increase food intake for people in aged care, the degree of implementation of these strategies is unknown. This study describes food service practices in residential aged care facilities, focusing on units caring for people with dementia. An online survey was distributed to residential aged care facilities for completion by the food service manager (n = 2057). Of the 204 responses to the survey, 63 (31%) contained a dementia-specific unit. Most facilities used adaptive equipment (90.2%) and commercial oral nutritional supplements (87.3%). A higher proportion of facilities with a dementia-specific service used high-contrast plates (39.7%) than those without (18.4%). The majority of facilities had residents make their choice for the meal more than 24 h prior to the meal (30.9%). Use of high contrast plates (n = 51, 25%) and molds to reform texture-modified meals (n = 41, 20.1%) were used by one-quarter or less of surveyed facilities. There is a relatively low use of environmental and social strategies to promote food intake and wellbeing in residents, with a focus instead on clinical interventions. Research should focus on strategies to support implementation of interventions to improve the mealtime experience for residents.

Engaging food service providers to change food service practices in aged care facilities.

AIM: The present study describes the impact of a novel education program for food service staff from Australian aged care facilities (ACF) to facilitate improvements in food service practices. The purpose was to explore; (i) the impact of the intervention (ii) barriers and facilitators of the program from food service providers' perspectives and (iii) make program planning and practice recommendations. METHODS: Participants completed pre- and post-program questionnaires, attended two focus groups on program process and impact and 4 months later reported through individual interviews on changes they had implemented. Results were triangulated between the questionnaires, focus groups and interviews and impacts and outcomes identified through directed content analysis. RESULTS: Thirty senior-level chefs and a cook participated from 27 ACF from Victoria, Australia. Participation impacted on the menu, dining experiences and food service practices. All of the participants were enacting changes in their workplace 4 months later as change agents. A focus on skilling the participants as 'change agents', brokering ongoing peer-support and the celebrity and/or expert status of the facilitators were attributed to the success of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This novel intervention empowered Victorian food service providers to make positive changes in ACF. Further research is required to measure if these self-reported changes are sustainable and relevant to other facilities and to establish the effect on food experience, satisfaction and well-being of residents.

Characteristics of older adults with diabetes: What does the current aged care resident look like?

AIM: The prevalence of diabetes in older adults in residential aged care (RAC) is twice that of community dwelling older adults. Older adults with diabetes have been highlighted as being at high risk of frailty and malnutrition, particularly when managed on a therapeutic diet. However, assumptions may be based on clinical presentation of our oldest old which may be at conflict with the clinical presentation of younger older adults. The aim of this retrospective audit was to identify the characteristics of aged care residents with diabetes, their comorbidities and malnutrition risk. METHODS: Residents' with diabetes paper-based records were audited for demographic data, diet code, medical and medication history, malnutrition risk screening scores and anthropometric data. RESULTS: A total of 295 residents with diabetes records were audited across 13 sites in South Australia. Younger older adults (65-74 years) were generally in a healthy weight range (23-30 kg/m2 ) or obese (>30 kg/m2 ) and had gained weight since admission to RAC; whereas the oldest old were more likely to have lost weight and had a lower body mass index range 22.6-28.9 kg/m2 . An unexpected finding was the variability between RAC sites in dietary management of diabetes and potential inappropriate dietary management of malnutrition, as indicated by their food service diet codes. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that younger older adults in RAC are more likely to be overweight which is maintained over a typical length of stay. Study findings indicate that diabetes management is inconsistent and highlights the need for mandated RAC menu guidelines.

Systematic review of the evidence for a liberalized diet in the management of diabetes mellitus in older adults residing in aged care facilities.

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to review and evaluate the evidence supporting a liberalized diet for the management of diabetes mellitus in aged care homes and examine the effect of this on glycaemia, nutritional status and diabetes comorbidity risk factors. A 3 step search of eight databases followed by independent data extraction and quality assessment by two authors was undertaken. Studies which compared therapeutic diets to a liberalized diet or observation studies reviewing the effects of therapeutic diets on glycaemia and nutritional status were included. Of the 546 studies identified, six met the inclusion criteria. Methodological quality of the studies was rated poor and the majority concluded no statistically significant change in diabetes management outcomes with a liberalized diet, but modest increases in glycaemia were observed. Inadequate data was available to determine effects of diet change on nutritional status or diabetes risk factors. Overall studies were in support of a liberalized diet but due to the low quality of the evidence and a lack of significant findings it may not be appropriate to extrapolate these conclusions to inform dietetic practice.