Behavioral Challenges and Adaptive Strategies in Providing Mealtime Care to Residents With Dementia: A Qualitative Study of Nursing Home Clinical and Administrative Staff

Melissa Batchelor, Sana Smaoui, Lígia Passos, Wen Liu, The George Washington University School of Nursing, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kuwait University, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, The University of Iowa College of Nursing, Iowa City

Journal of Applied Gerontology

Published online on October 31, 2025

Abstract

Journal of Applied Gerontology, Ahead of Print.
This study examined how nursing home staff adapt to challenging mealtime behaviors in residents with dementia, such as turning away or refusing food. Ten focus groups were conducted with 52 clinical and administrative staff from three southeastern U.S. ...