Texture modified diet in German nursing homes: availability, best practices and association with nursing home characteristics.

Background: For nursing home (NH) residents with swallowing or chewing problems, appealing texture-modified-diets (TMD) need to be available in order to support adequate nutrition. The aim of this study was to describe the availability of TMD and best practices for TMD in German NHs and to identify related NH characteristics.

Methods: Information on NH characteristics, available texture-modified (TM)-levels (soft, "minced & moist", pureed) and implemented best practices for TMD (derived from menu plan, separately visible components, re-shaped components, considering individual capabilities of the resident) was collected in a survey in German NHs.

Size Matters! Differences in Nutritional Care between Small, Medium and Large Nursing Homes in Germany.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to comprehensively describe nutritional care in German nursing homes (NHs) and to examine if nutritional care differs between small, medium and large NHs.

Design: Nationwide cross-sectional postal survey.

Setting: Nursing homes.