Assisted Dining: the Role and Skills of Feeding Assistants

This manual is designed to train individuals who will be feeding residents in a long term care facility. The training program meets federal regulations for feeding assistant training and provides information on all topics required by the federal rule, as well as useful and important background information and practical exercises. The 2020 edition has been revised to reflect current regulatory requirements and best practices for feeding assistance.

Topics covered include:

Feeding techniques

Assistance with feeding and hydration

Communication and interpersonal skills

Appropriate responses to resident behavior

Safety and emergency procedures, including the Heimlich maneuver

Infection control and prevention

Resident rights

Reporting

There is also a section that emphasizes and teaches the importance of recognizing changes in residents that are inconsistent with their normal behavior and the best practices for reporting these changes to the supervisory nurse.

Table of Contents