Authors (including presenting author) :
Tsung WC
Affiliation :
Cheshire Home Shatin
Introduction :
Food eating is a kind of enjoyment and a basic instinct for all people. Thus, people who have medical problems leading to dysphagia and non-oral feeding is understood having great negative impacts on their quality of life. In Cheshire Home Shatin, there are over 70 patients (one third of the total number of patients) on tube feeding. Most of them are bedridden, limited stimulation can be provided. In order to let them have food tasting, nurses initiated the taste enjoyment program while dietitian, speech therapist and doctors were consulted for providing expert opinion.
Objectives :
To improve the quality of life of the long term care patients who have not tasted food for long time by stimulating their taste sensation and let them enjoying food taste again.
Methodology :
1. Sixty tube feeding patients were recruited.
2. Small amount of liquid food with different kinds of tastes were given by using big cotton tip applicators daily.
3. Sweet, salty and sour taste food such as honey, jam, condensed milk, fruit juice, soup, coffee, milk tea, Ovaltine, Milo and Horlicks were selected.
4. Nursing staff were trained on the preparation of food according to the safe measures, the technique of putting the applicator into patient mouth for maximizing the food tasting feeling and the observation of patient responses.
5. Patients and their relatives were explained the details to get their verbal consents.
Result & Outcome :
1.60 patients participated the program, 17 patients showed enjoyment and 34 patients had the reflexes of munch, chewing and swallowing observed.
2.86% patients’ relatives treasured and supported the program.
3.137 out of 139 nursing staff gave their feedbacks. 77% of them agree that the program can improve the quality of life of the tube feeding patients.
4.92% staff agree that the program is an easy procedure.
5.82% of staff are willing to continue the program as a daily routine.
6.Honey, jam, coffee, Milo, condensed milk and Ovaltine are the most preferable food for patients
