 － 42 － J Community Nutrition 6(1)：42 ~ 47, 2004 □ OriginalArticle □  QualitativeInvestigationofAssistedLiving Residents’FoodserviceExperience Kyung-EunLee, † CarolW.Shanklin, 1) Hui-ChunHuang 1)  Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul Women’s University, Seoul, Korea Department of Hotel, Restaurant, Institution Management & Dietetics, 1) Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA ABSTRACT  The purpose of the study was to investigate assisted living residents’ perception of foodservice experience using a qualitative approach. A total of 14 residents who lived in assisted living units of a continuing care retirement community participated in interview sessions. The interviews were semi-structured with open-ended questions. The interviews were transcribed and coded to identify themes from the responses. The residents perceived the availability of choices, variety of foods, and service positively, but expressed concerns about food preparation, food quality, and repetitive menus. They were particularly concerned with tough and dry meats. The foodservice department should consider the older residents’ ability to chew and their changing taste buds when determining quality of food purchased and preparation methods. The residents considered the service pleasing and described it as satisfactory. They stated that the service staff was friendly but needed more training in proper service techniques. Communication between the foodservice department and the residents was an area to be improved. The foodservice department should increase the residents’ involvement in the menu planning and evaluation of the foodservice on a routine basis. Foodservice managers and dietitians working for the older adults can utilize the findings of the study to identify strategies to improve foodservice at their facilities. (J Community Nutrition 6(1) :42 ~ 47, 2004) KEYWORDS :older adults·foodservice·assisted living·interviews. Introduction In the United States(US), the population segment 65 years of age or older was estimated to be 35 million in 2000 or 13% of the total population(Administration on Aging[AOA] 2000). The older population is expected to double in the next 30 years, composing 20% of the total population as the baby boom cohorts reach the age of 65. The growth of the older population has provided both opportunities and ch- allenges for policy makers, families, businesses, and health- care providers. Issues concerning the elderly population in- clude an increase in the number of persons requiring special services, such as healthcare, nutrition, recreation, and housing. The impacts of the increasing number of the elderly on social institutions such as education and family, business, and gover- nment must be addressed(National Aging Information Center 1996). The American older population is getting diverse in terms of ethnic composition, health and economic status, and edu- cation levels. Many older adults have more economic security and greater opportunities for leisure, second careers, and community service than the previous generations. As life expectancy is increasing, the oldest old, defined as those aged 85 and over, are the most rapidly growing age group. Most older adults are independent. However, they may need different levels of care during their lives since they live longer(Economics and Statistics Administration 1995). Over the next 50 years, programs and services targeting older adults are expected to become flexible to meet the diverse demands of the population(AOA 2000). Older Americans and their caregivers want choices in living situations and health-related services to optimize independence, productivity, and quality of life(American Dietetic Association[ADA] 2000). Long-term care service in the US includes not only foster † Correspondingauthor：Kyung-Eun Lee, Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul Women’s University, 126 Kongneung-dong Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-774, Korea Tel：(02) 970-5648, Fax：(02) 976-4049 E-mail：klee@swu.ac.kr