Grant: Project Grant

This project builds on the strengths of prior research and community work in hopes of finding new ways to address the lack of access to culturally relevant foods for members of the African, Caribbean, and Black community living in long-term care homes. Offering food that matches the cultural background of members of this community is complex because the proportion of African, Caribbean, and Black community members in a long-term care home is often small and so a culturally appropriate diet is not a priority. Yet, we know that these populations across Canada are at high risk for poor health outcomes in long-term care, including for dementia and diseases that are linked to diet, like diabetes and heart problems. Elderly people often prefer familiar foods that they ate before entering long-term care. Lack of these preferred foods can increase their risk of poor nutrition and dehydration. It is important for long-term care homes to have a plan that includes culturally relevant food as part of equity-focused, person-centered care. African, Caribbean, and Black people should be able to see themselves, their history, and their culture reflected in the foods being offered to them in their home. This project brings together researchers and community partners to identify and share new ways of thinking about how food services for African, Caribbean, and Black long-term care residents can be more culturally relevant. We will work with long-term care residents, community food programs, policymakers, and long-term care staff, to bring together many different views and experiences. We will magnify the voices of African, Caribbean, and Black people, including women, who often act as the primary caregivers and food preparers. This project will create roadmaps for long-term care homes to help them better serve their African, Caribbean, and Black residents in hopes of reducing the risk of poor health outcomes and creating more equal opportunities for good nutrition and healthy aging.