A questionnaire survey was conducted on the variety and application of meals provided for the elderly in nursing and personal care facilities. Survey sheets were mailed to 470 facilities throughout the country, and 120 facilities responded.
Average values of 3.1 types of rice and 4.1 types of dish were provided per facility. It is apparent that there was a difference in the perceived definition of dishes, but less about rice.
A decision on the type of meal required is based on information from the patient's previous facility. 63.8% of staff responded that the appropriate type of meal for individual elderly patients is provided, although 80.8% of facilities need an index to easily judge the most appropriate types of meal. It is suspected there is room for improvement in this aspect.
The level of satisfaction by elderly patients of the meals was related to their evaluation of the taste and appearance of the food. The results of the survey reaffirm the need to consider the most appropriate type of meal for each patient, and to make improvements to the meal service.