Mealtime is one of the most important aspects of the day, and this remains true for residents in retirement living and long-term care. Many factors affect the mealtime experience including the food that is served, the atmosphere of the dining room, and interactions with team members and tablemates. This short, 14-question tool to determine how residents feel about some of these factors, and whether they are satisfied with their overall mealtime experience.

How to use the questionnaire:

• The questionnaire can be self-completed by residents or a volunteer may be needed to interview residents and record their responses.
• After collecting completed questionnaires, tally up the responses. Count how many people responded “Most of the Time” for each question. To get a percentage, divide the total count by the total number of people who completed the survey and multiply by 100. For example, if 20 out of 50 residents responded “Most of the Time”, then 20/50 x 100 = 40% of residents selected “Most of the Time” for that question.
• After you’ve tallied the results, use the following as a general guide to help you read the results and identify areas that are going well or areas that may need some work.
• For all questions, except #3:
  • >80% responded “Most of the Time” = No action is needed, keep up the great work!
  • 60-79% responded “Most of the Time” = Potential area for improvement
  • <60% responded “Most of the Time” = Priority area for improvement
• For question #3:
  • >80% responded “Rarely” = No action is needed, keep up the great work!
  • 60-79% responded “Rarely” = Potential area for improvement
  • <60% responded “Rarely” = Priority area for improvement
• It is also important to look at the comments provided on the questionnaires, as these can be helpful in understanding why a certain response was given.

PLEASE NOTE: This questionnaire is meant to help you understand residents’ mealtime satisfaction and identify possible opportunity areas, it is not an objective measure but is to be used as a guide and a place to start conversations about improving the mealtime experience for residents in retirement and/or long-term care.

Date created: 2013