The work also identifies several key recommendations on the service delivery of packaged food and beverages at meal times. These are:
•Offering alternative solutions such as decanting contents.
•Identifying alternative package solutions, i.e. that some packages are easier to access than others and those package forms could be encouraged.
•Designating staff to assist in opening packages at mealtimes and training staff in understanding the difficulties users may have (however, this strategy has a cost implication for the Health Service).
Lastly given the serious nature of the problem for our nutritionally vulnerable, unwell elderly trying to access hospital foods and beverages, pressure can be applied to package designers to improve packaging accessibility by older people and people with disability, thus promoting wider health benefits.
Further studies are required to explore the ‘usability’ of food and beverage packaging with the elderly both in the community and in care settings.