People with intellectual disabilities often struggle with weight and health problems, and the people who care for them play a huge role in what they eat. Researchers talked to 17 caregivers at group homes to understand how they help residents make better food choices. The caregivers try to encourage healthy eating while letting residents make their own decisions, but they face real challenges like not having enough training, time, or resources. The study shows that caregivers need better education and support to help residents eat well while still respecting what they want to eat.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How do caregivers in group homes help people with intellectual disabilities make healthy food choices?
  • Who participated: 17 caregivers who work in three community residential homes where people with intellectual disabilities live
  • Key finding: Caregivers use helpful strategies like building trust and personalizing care plans, but these efforts don’t always work well because caregivers lack proper training, don’t have enough time, and use different approaches
  • What it means for you: If you care for someone with an intellectual disability, know that you’re important in helping them eat well—but you deserve better training and support to do this job effectively. This research suggests that group homes should invest in nutrition education for all staff.

The Research Details

Researchers conducted one-on-one conversations with 17 caregivers who work in residential homes. These weren’t quick surveys—they were detailed interviews where caregivers could explain their experiences, challenges, and strategies in their own words. The researchers then looked for common themes and patterns in what the caregivers said. This approach, called thematic analysis, helps researchers understand the real-world experiences and challenges that numbers alone can’t capture. By listening to caregivers directly, the researchers learned about the practical difficulties they face every day when trying to help residents eat healthier.

This research method is important because eating habits and caregiving relationships are complex and personal. You can’t measure these things with a simple survey. By talking directly to caregivers, researchers discovered the real barriers they face—like not having enough time, lacking nutrition knowledge, and struggling to balance helping residents eat well with respecting their freedom to choose what they want. This kind of detailed understanding helps create better solutions.

This study provides valuable insights into caregivers’ real experiences and challenges. However, it’s based on interviews with only 17 caregivers from three homes, so the findings may not apply to all residential settings everywhere. The study is qualitative, meaning it focuses on understanding experiences rather than measuring outcomes with numbers. This makes it excellent for identifying problems and solutions, but it doesn’t prove that specific strategies will definitely work for everyone.

What the Results Show

The research identified three major themes in how caregivers approach healthy eating. First, caregivers struggle with the question of whose responsibility it is to ensure healthy eating—is it the caregiver’s job, the resident’s choice, or a shared responsibility? Second, caregivers try to balance encouraging healthy food choices while respecting residents’ freedom to decide what they eat, which becomes even harder when residents have cognitive impairments or take medications that affect appetite and food choices. Third, caregivers see opportunities to work together with residents, families, and other professionals to support better eating habits. Throughout all these challenges, caregivers use practical strategies like building good relationships with residents, personalizing care plans to each person’s needs, and teaching residents about nutrition.

The study revealed that caregivers’ efforts to promote healthy eating are often limited by several barriers: they don’t have enough training in nutrition, they’re stretched too thin with time constraints, and different caregivers use different approaches, leading to inconsistent results. Some residents on psychiatric medications face special challenges because these medications can change appetite and food cravings. Caregivers also noted that they need better support from nutritionists and dietitians to create effective meal plans.

Previous research has shown that people with intellectual disabilities have higher rates of obesity and related health problems. This study adds important new information by showing that caregivers want to help but need better tools and training. It confirms what other studies suggest: that the relationship between caregiver and resident is crucial for health outcomes, and that one-size-fits-all approaches don’t work.

This study only included 17 caregivers from three homes, so the findings may not represent all residential settings. The study relied on what caregivers said in interviews, which might not capture everything that actually happens during mealtimes. The research didn’t measure whether the strategies caregivers described actually led to better health outcomes for residents. Additionally, the study didn’t include the perspectives of the residents themselves, which would have provided important additional insights.

The Bottom Line

Residential homes should provide comprehensive nutrition training for all caregivers (high confidence). Homes should involve nutritionists and dietitians in meal planning and staff training (high confidence). Caregivers should use personalized, relationship-based approaches rather than one-size-fits-all rules (moderate confidence). Homes should create systems that allow caregivers enough time to support healthy eating without rushing (moderate confidence). These recommendations are based on caregiver experiences and should be adapted to each home’s specific situation.

This research is most relevant to: managers and administrators of residential homes for people with intellectual disabilities, caregivers working in these settings, families of residents, nutritionists and dietitians, and policymakers who fund these services. If you work in healthcare or social services supporting people with intellectual disabilities, this research directly applies to you.

Changes in eating habits typically take several weeks to months to show results. If a residential home implements better caregiver training and nutrition support, you might see improvements in residents’ food choices within a few weeks, but meaningful changes in weight and health markers usually take 3-6 months or longer.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • If you’re a caregiver, track daily meal choices and portion sizes for each resident you support. Note which strategies worked best (like offering choices, building rapport before mealtimes, or involving residents in meal planning). Record any barriers you faced (time constraints, knowledge gaps, resident resistance) to identify patterns.
  • Use the app to set specific, achievable goals for each resident—like ‘offer two healthy snack choices daily’ or ‘involve resident in meal planning twice weekly.’ Create reminders for nutrition education moments (teaching about food groups, discussing preferences). Log which personalized strategies work best for each individual.
  • Track caregiver confidence levels in nutrition support over time. Monitor consistency of healthy eating strategies across different caregivers and shifts. Record resident satisfaction with meals and food choices. Set monthly check-ins to review what’s working and adjust approaches based on real results.

This research describes caregiver experiences and strategies for supporting healthy eating in residential settings. It does not provide medical advice or nutrition guidance for specific individuals. Anyone with an intellectual disability should work with their healthcare provider and a registered dietitian to develop personalized nutrition plans. Caregivers should seek professional nutrition training and support from qualified healthcare professionals. This study’s findings are based on interviews with a small group of caregivers and may not apply to all residential settings or individuals. Always consult with medical and nutrition professionals before making significant changes to someone’s diet or care plan.