En värdig måltid : Hemtjänstpersonalens perspektiv på måltiden inom ordinärt boende.

Sammanfattning

The purpose of this study is to investigate how hospitality and person-centred care are expressed in home care staff's work during meal situations for older adults living in ordinary housing, as well as the conditions that influence the possibility of creating meaningfulness and promoting participation in these situations. The study was conducted as a qualitative interview study with five respondents from home care services in a small municipality in central Sweden. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and the material was analysed using thematic analysis, with findings interpreted in relation to prior research and relevant theoretical perspectives.The results indicated that home care staff perceived their work with meals as characterised by an individually adapted and situationally contingent approach, in which the manner of engagement is continuously adjusted to the needs of the care recipient. The meal was identified both as a practical care intervention and as a social situation. The study demonstrated that the quality of the meal situation is influenced by both staff conduct and the organisational conditions surrounding the work. Structural constraints, such as time frames and guidelines, may affect the capacity to create meaningfulness and participation in meal situations for older adults living in ordinary housing.