OVERVIEW
For the past 10 years Vanderbilt Center for Quality Aging has evaluated Paid Feeding Assistant programs and led in-person trainings for long-term care facilities. To increase accessibility for all Tennesee long-term care facilities, CQA created a web-based training series in partnership with QSource, part of the atom Alliance quality improvment initiative. This training curriculum is consistent with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulation "Requirements for Paid Feeding Assistants in Long Term Care Facilities" (CMS C.F.R. 483.16), which allows facilities to hire single task workers and/or cross-train existing, non-nursing personnel (e.g., activities, dietary, housekeeping, volunteers) to help with daily feeding assistance care during and/or between regularly-scheduled meals (i.e., supplement and snack delivery). The eight-hour training, which is led by Vanderbilt faculty and staff specializing in gerontology, nutrition, nursing, and social work, is available free to facilities via QSource.
Included in this module are the following resources:
- Training Curriculum
- Session Overviews & PowerPoint Slides
- Training Toolkit
- Additional Activities (for in-person training)
- Research on Trained Feeding Assistants and Trained Feeding Assistant Programs
- History of the Trained Feeding Assistant regulation and a CMS video
Supplemental Materials
More recently, the Allen Foundation funded the development and dissemination of a series of nutrition education and training videos for professional and family caregivers. Video content includes feeding assistance care techniques to encourage food and fluid intake among older adults with dementia. Techniques are evidence-based and designed to enhance independence in eating, dignity and choice. Researchers partner with local dementia care facility, Abe’s Garden, to develop and distribute the videos to dementia care providers within the community. These videos can be used in conjunction with the Feeding Assistant Training.
1. The Importance of Nutrition and Signs of Malnutrition
5. Snack Tips