The changing meaning of food in the context of being cared for and the pathways of autonomy in eating regimes
| Autoři | |
|---|---|
| Rok publikování | 2025 |
| Druh | Další prezentace na konferencích |
| Fakulta / Pracoviště MU | |
| Citace | |
| Popis | Food is the axis around which our lives are structured. It acts as a social glue and is connected to our identity. Transitioning from the home environment to a care institution is crucial for older adults. Although it personally affects only a small minority of older adults, it represents a major transformation in all lives areas. Despite the declared support for the individualisation of care, the care homes are structured by the needs of running the institution, so all meals are served. At the same time, strangers meet at the same table. However, eating routines are often already disrupted in the home, i.e. by widowhood or health limitations. We use data from the project Meanings of Food Intake in Old Age (GA23-06348S) to explore these changes in food meaning. Specifically, we analyse data from a multi-case study from 6 care homes (video recordings in dining rooms, interviews with clients and staff) and 23 in-depth interviews with home-dwelling older adults in the Czech Republic. We observe how older adults change their eating routines and habits in the face of the necessity of being cared for. We focus on negotiating autonomy vis-a-vis caregivers and the associated forms of the social function of eating. We pay specific attention to older adults´ responses in the field of food regimes and care systems' tendency to reframe them as objects of care. |
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