Dietitians Working in Continuing Care Facilities in Nova Scotia: Pre- and Post-COVID-19 First Wave

Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
22 November 2022

Abstract

Continuing care (CC) facilities have been impacted by a growing demand for services, insufficient resources for the provision of quality food and nutrition care, and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored the roles and responsibilities of dietitians working in CC facilities in Nova Scotia (NS) before and after the COVID-19 first wave. Using ethics-approved questionnaires, the estimated 75 dietitians working in CC facilities in NS were surveyed in Fall 2019 and Fall 2020 about their roles and responsibilities. Twenty responded to the first questionnaire and 15 to the second. Analysis of data included simple statistical and qualitative description methods. The findings highlighted the complexities and challenges faced by these dietitians in the provision of resident nutrition care, overseeing foodservices, training staff and dietetic interns, and contributing to facility specific care committees before and after the COVID-19 first wave. There is a need to advocate for minimum standards for dietetic and foodservice funding in CC facilities based on higher acuity and complex care needs of residents and considering the multifaceted roles of dietitians in CC. Efforts to improve awareness about the roles of dietitians working in CC among resident families, other dietitians, and dietetic interns are also needed.

Résumé

Les établissements de soins continus (SC) ont été affectés par une hausse de la demande de services, un manque de ressources pour fournir des soins nutritionnels et des aliments de qualité et, plus récemment, par la pandémie de COVID-19. Cette étude a exploré les rôles et responsabilités de diététistes travaillant dans des établissements de SC en Nouvelle-Écosse (N.-É.) avant et après la première vague de COVID-19. À l’automne 2019 et à l’automne 2020, les quelque 75 diététistes travaillant dans des établissements de SC en N.-É. ont été interrogés au moyen de questionnaires ayant fait l’objet d’une approbation éthique à propos de leurs rôles et responsabilités. En tout, 20 ont répondu au premier questionnaire et 15 au deuxième. L’analyse des données a été réalisée au moyen de méthodes simples de description statistique et qualitative. Les résultats mettent en lumière les difficultés et défis auxquels ces diététistes ont dû faire face au moment d’offrir des soins nutritionnels aux résidents, de superviser les services alimentaires, de former le personnel et les internes en diététique, et de participer aux comités de soins des établissements avant et après la première vague de COVID-19. À la lumière des besoins plus aigus et complexes des résidents en matière de soins, et des nombreuses facettes du rôle des diététistes en établissements de SC, il faudra plaider en faveur de normes minimales pour le financement de la diététique et des services alimentaires dans ces établissements. Il sera également nécessaire de sensibiliser les familles des résidents, les autres diététistes et les internes en diététique aux rôles des diététistes travaillant dans les SC.

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Financial support: Funding for this research opportunity was provided through an Internal Research Grant from Mount Saint Vincent University.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Supplementary Material

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

cover image Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 84Number 1March 2023
Pages: 33 - 37
Editor: Naomi Cahill

History

Version of record online: 22 November 2022

Key Words

  1. dietitians
  2. continuing care
  3. long-term care
  4. COVID-19

Mots-clés

  1. diététistes
  2. soins continus
  3. soins de longue durée
  4. COVID-19

Authors

Affiliations

Linda Mann PDt, MBA
Department of Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Safura Syed RD, MSc, PhD candidate
Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario
Rachel Waugh PDt, MSc student
Department of Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

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