2018 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 33-41
The present study aimed to clarify the significance of cooperation between registered dietitians and kitchen staff in the process of providing meals for community-dwelling elderly people at “community restaurants” established as part of the integrated community care system. Individual interviews were conducted with seven kitchen staff members, and concept analysis was performed using the steps for coding and theorization (SCAT) technique. As a result, three themes were extracted, including: ① as kitchen staff, learning the significance of meals taking elderly people into account, ② acquiring skills and knowledge in meal preparation to gain the ability to prepare meals with peace of mind that meet the needs of people living in communities, and ③ providing meals with the support of trusted registered dieticians while giving advice to young individuals. Local kitchen staffs develop as cooks through cooperation with registered dieticians, and are promising human resources who will undertake community activities through meals. It was suggested that the role of registered dieticians might involve community support utilizing community empowerment.
