A preliminary evaluation of the paid feeding assistant regulation: impact on feeding assistance care process quality in nursing homes.

PURPOSE The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality sponsored a nationwide study to evaluate the federal paid feeding assistant (PFA) regulation that allows nursing homes to hire single-task workers to provide feeding assistance to nursing home residents. Organizers designed the PFA regulation to increase the number of staff available to provide assistance with eating and improve nutritional care process quality. DESIGN AND METHODS Trained research staff used standardized protocols to conduct direct observations during meals and face-to-face staff interviews in a convenience sample of seven facilities with PFA programs to evaluate care process quality. RESULTS Most (84%) of the trained PFAs in the seven site visit facilities were non-nursing staff within the facility; the quality of feeding assistance care provided by these workers was comparable to that provided by indigenous nurse aides. There were no reported changes in existing staffing levels (nurse aide or licensed nurses) following PFA program implementation, and the majority (> 90%) of indigenous staff at all levels reported positive benefits of the PFA program for both staff and residents. IMPLICATIONS Findings from this preliminary study indicate that the PFA regulation may serve to increase the utilization of existing non-nursing staff to improve feeding assistance care during meals without having a negative impact on existing nurse aide and licensed nurse staffing levels.