Nutrition and Mental Health in Long Term Care

This product is free for BHN members.

This webinar was presented live on January 25, 2023.

The changes in the long-term care landscape mean that many of our facilities are starting to admit Residents with different health conditions, including mental health conditions, than they had in years past. While mental illnesses and the medications used to treat them can often have an effect on weight and appetite, many clinicians do not feel fully knowledgeable to give great recommendations to cope with these illnesses. We will work to learn more about these illnesses, how they can affect nutrition status, and how we can help those Residents.

Lecture and real-life examples used throughout the presentation.

CPEU: 1.0
CPE Level: 1
Performance Indicators: 10.4, 10.2, 8.1

Learning Objectives

1. Discuss the mental health diagnoses most often seen in long-term care.
2. Identify the different nutrition challenges for residents with mental health diagnoses.
3. Describe options for nutrition interventions in this population.

Speaker

Cassandra "Cassie" Whitmore, RD, LMNT

Cassandra “Cassie” Whitmore, RD, LMNT has been a practicing dietitian for more than 10 years. She received her bachelor's degrees in Public Health Nutrition and Dietetics from Kansas State University. After starting her career working in acute care and inpatient eating disorders in Kansas City, she moved on to management in a critical access hospital. Most of her career has been spent working in Long Term Care at various facilities throughout the state of Nebraska, which included time as an Employee Wellness Dietitian. She has also worked as an outpatient dietitian with a focus on diabetes education and eating disorders and has notable experience in hospice and mental healthcare. She is currently self-employed as a Consultant Dietitian and speaker. She is based in Lincoln, Nebraska where she lives with her husband, son, and dog.