Browsing by Author "Saarinen, Emma"

The purpose of this study is to describe the thoughts that the catering staff, nurses and elderly people have about successful mealtime, the fulfilment of self-determination and power-relations in institutional food service. The theoretical framework for this study is based on the idea of mealtimes as a homelike situation and the positive influences it has on the quality of life (Nijs, et al., 2006). Social aspect is also considered to be part of successful mealtime (Holm, 2001) as well as the possibility to have emotionally evoking food (Suominen & Jyväkorpi, 2012). The definition of self-determination is based on the ethical views and principles of law. Power-relations are viewed through Ylva Mattsson Sydner's dissertation (2002), which is based on investigating power-relations in Swedish elderly care. Power-relations are also viewed from other aspects it has in elderly care. Data collection method is as semi-structured theme-based-interview. Twelve people participated in the interview. The analysis of the research was done by content-analysis. The theoretical philosophy of the research was loosely based on phenomenology-hermeneutics which meant that in this research all the participants' experiences were considered to be equal. Successful mealtime included factors related to the atmosphere and social interactions between elderly people. Food had to be tasty and nurses requested more meals that were based on the resident's wishes. Nurses also mentioned they hoped to reduce the time-orientation that elderly people seemed to have. In general the feeling of rush was hoped to be reduced. Elderly people felt they could not carry-out self-determination per se, whereas nurses and catering staff felt it was possible. The catering staff seemed to have the most power in determining what kind of meals are offered in the institutions. The least power was indicated to the group that the interviewee was representing. The responsibility of developing the catering in the institutional care was pointed out through macro- and microlevels. Parliament, social welfare and health care, city, the management of the institution, the catering staff in the institutions as well as the nurses and the elderly were seen as responsible of the development.