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Fitting dietary advice for oral health into the roles of food for elderly, mentally ill people
Author(s) -
Fiske J.,
Zhang W.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of human nutrition and dietetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1365-277X
pISSN - 0952-3871
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-277x.1999.00179.x
Subject(s) - medicine , context (archaeology) , observational study , gerontology , oral health , family medicine , paleontology , pathology , biology
Summary Aim : To identify the roles of food in a day‐centre for elderly, mentally ill people, so that dietary recommendations for optimal oral health are made within the overall philosophies of the day‐centre. Method : A qualitative approach was adopted. It comprised an observational study of the daily routine and a semistructured interview to examine the attitudes, beliefs and knowledge of the care‐staff related to diet, general health and oral health. Results : The use of food was pivotal to the functioning of the centre. Food was used for nutrition, as a focus for communal activities, to express love and caring, and to maintain cognitive, daily living and social skills. All staff considered oral health important and appreciated the link between oral health, general health and diet (primarily sugar consumption). Despite this, one‐third of carers considered tooth loss an inevitable consequence of ageing. Sugar was generally regarded as detrimental to general health, but attitudes towards use of sweeteners as an alternative were mixed. However, it was believed that elderly people can adapt to dietary changes. Conclusion : Dietary advice for oral health would be acceptable if put in the context of general health and the changes take account of the overall philosophies of the centre. To this end a ‘Healthy Eating Resource Pack’ was produced for use in the centre.