Food and drink related needs and outcomes of older adults using homecare: An international scoping review

Community-based social care services, especially homecare, play an important role in addressing older people’s food and drink-related needs and supporting good quality of life (QoL) outcomes. However, the food and drink-related needs/outcomes of older people, who live at home and use social care services, remains relatively underexplored by comparison to care delivered in residential or nursing care. An international scoping review was undertaken to identify and synthesis the evidence on the food and drink-related needs and outcomes (defined broadly, to consider QoL) of older adults using homecare services. The study aimed to gain an overview of the current literature, establish the type and range of methods applied, the conceptual understandings of food and drink-related needs/outcomes and key implications for policy and practice. Systematic searches were conducted in four databases (Web of Science, PsychInfo, SCIE Online and ProQuest) in November 2022 to identify relevant published papers and grey literature, since 2000, on the food and drink-related needs and/or outcomes of older adults, aged 65 or over, using homecare. Preliminary findings will be presented, with particular focus on knowledge gaps and the implications of existing evidence for policy and practice.