Exploring Staff Perspectives on the Feasibility of Integrating the Environmental Components of a Novel Intervention for Hydration in Long-Term Care.
Sophia Werden Abrams, Safura Syed, Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald and 9 others
PMID 41804565WHAT IT FOUND
Long-term care staff reported that a drink cart and larger glasses fit into routines and helped them offer fluids, though some residents needed smaller glasses or half-filled cups.
Key findings
01Staff perceived the beverage trolley and larger glasses as feasible and helpful for offering fluids during routines.
02Observations found three drink choices were available on the trolley in 9 of 10 sessions, and larger glasses were used consistently.
03Some residents needed smaller glasses, lids, or half-filled glasses, and a participant reported residents with smaller hands or arthritis had difficulty gripping the larger glasses.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only 8 staff were interviewed, and no nursing or managerial staff took part, so staff groups other than personal support workers and recreation are not represented. The work was done in a for-profit long-term care home, in a 32-resident neighbourhood that was not a secure dementia unit, so it may not apply to other homes or units. No resident hydration outcomes or patient-specific data were collected, so staff perceptions cannot show that fluid intake or dehydration improved. Staff knew the goal was to improve fluid intake and the interview guide was not piloted, which may have encouraged socially desirable answers. Only two environmental components of the PROMOTE programme were tested, not the full multicomponent intervention. Some residents were occasionally skipped during trolley rounds, and the reason was not clear, so delivery of fluids was not guaranteed.
Declared interests
Aramark sponsored the programme; the authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the drink trolley or larger glasses increased resident fluid intake or reduced dehydration. The study collected staff perceptions and observations only. No resident hydration outcomes were measured.