Institutional Foodservice Personnel’s Perception and Use of Care Foods for Elderly Individuals' Chewing and Swallowing Ability

A survey of 487 elderly foodservice institutions, including welfare centers (W), nursing hospitals (NH), and nursing homes (N), across the country was conducted to investigate foodservice personnel's perceptions and actual use of texture-modified foods (TMFs) that considers the elderly's chewing and swallowing abilities, and to determine the demand for texture-modified home meal replacements (HMRs). The questionnaire data received via return mail from 46 institutions were analyzed. The average number of meals was 322 in W, 175 in NH, and 43 in N. The meal type in W was entirely regular food, while NH and N provided various food types, such as regular food, ground food, porridge, and tube-fed. Among the foodservice personnel, 54.3% were aware of TMFs, and those in N or NH recognized the necessity of TMFs to a greater extent than those in W. Although 78.3% of the foodservice personnel considered the elderly's chewing abilities when planning their diets, the actual food served was mostly steamed food or porridge. No diets considered the swallowing ability or the level of swallowing ability. The guidelines for food preparation methods and texture standards were not addressed. More than half of the foodservice personnel were unaware of commercial viscosity enhancers, but the level of satisfaction was high after their use. The demand for texture-modified HMRs was high in NH and N, and 66.6% of the nursing home foodservice personnel answered that they were willing to purchase them. These results suggest that it is possible to understand i) foodservice personnel's cognition, attitude, and actual use of TMFs considering the elderly's chewing and swallowing abilities; and ii) the standards of TMFs and demands for HMRs. A future study should include more wide-ranging subject groups and scopes as the population continues to age.