Older patients meal experiences in hospitals - an explorative study with a focus on hospitality and sensory aspects

The overall aim of this doctoral project was to explore how the notion of hospitality could be used as a perspective to understand the meal provision within a hospital frame. The project also aimed to explore older adult patients´ meal experiences together with the experiences of the staff who serve the food to the patients. By applying hospitality as the overall perspective on the analyzes of the sub-studies, the doctoral project has been able to show both the usefulness of the concept itself, and hospitality as a valuable and significant part to create positive meal experiences for patients. The studies show, based on the staff's and patients' experiences, that how patients are approached can influence their food intake and willingness to eat.

The PhD project was within the Örebro university research school Successful Ageing.