In the long-term care of older people, evidence-based and individualized nutrition and fluid intake is of great importance for maintaining health and reducing the progression of the need for care. However, there is a lack of differentiated findings for culturally and diversity-sensitive nutrition and fluid intake that also correspond to the guidelines and latest findings of nutritional science and the needs of those in need of care.

NUTRI-SENSE is a research project with a duration of 4 years. The research project addresses the question of how aspects of cultural diversity and social inequality in the area of nutrition and eating can be efficiently taken into account in long-term care and in consequence lead to the best possible state of health and an increased quality of life in older nursing home residents. The project aims to support the nursing process with interdisciplinary and user-centred developed digital tools in order to make long-term nursing care fit for the future.

To realize qualified, patient-centered, and needs-based care, the nursing process was established, which is a systematic approach to organizing nursing practice, nursing knowledge, and nursing care. This process should be supported with digital tools. The heterogeneity of older adults, particularly in terms of social inequality and health status, is seen as a particular challenge in an ageing society such as Germany. It is to be expected that the number of people with a migrant background in need of nursing will also increase in the future.

This project intends to investigate the following research questions:

1. What diversity and culturally sensitive characteristics need to be considered in the nutritional and fluid intake of people in need of care who live in nursing homes?
2. To what extent can these diversity- and culture-sensitive factors be integrated into the nursing care process so that food and fluid intake is improved?
3. To what extent can digital technologies support diversity- and culturally sensitive nutrition and fluid intake in the nursing care process so that individual-centered nursing care is made possible and the care process is supported?

NUTRI-SENSE is a collaborative effort by:

• Prof. Dr. Martina Hasseler, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Health Care Sciences, Health and Nursing Sciences
• Prof. Dr. Michael Feldhaus, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Department of Social Sciences, Sociology of the Life Course and Social Inequality
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Hein, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Department of Health Services Research, Assistance Systems and Medical Device Technology
• Dr. Rebecca Diekmann, OFFIS Institute e.V. Oldenburg, Assistive Technologies for Care and Health Professionals

Funded by zukunft.niedersachsen, the joint science funding program of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and the Volkswagen Foundation.