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Home » Long Term Weight Loss » Ice cream and other ways to keep residents healthy post-pandemic – Guest columns – McKnight’s Long Term Care News – McKnight’s Long Term Care News

As nursing home residents and staff get vaccinated, its clear we still wont be returning to crowded dining halls and ice cream parties anytime soon. But milkshakes, sundaes, bananas, soft pretzels and other snacks will be more than fun treats; they may be lifesaving.

Being immobile and isolated for months isnt conducive to healthy nutrition. Particularly in long-term care settings, socializing is a big part of meals. Deprived of that, many residents may have been eating less. At the same time, fewer visits and busier staff mean that any weight loss and poor eating habits may not be recognized right away.

Add other factors such as oral health issues and medications that interfere with appetite, digestion and nutrition, and this patient population is at great risk for malnutrition.

For residents who have had COVID-19, there may be an additional challenge. According to a new study, these individuals may lose their sense of smell and taste for several months after they recover. This can keep them from eating or drinking enough.

Whatever the cause for malnutrition, these residents are more likely to have a weakened immune system (which increases the risk of infections), poor wound healing, a higher risk of hospitalization and an increased risk of frailty or even death.

Malnutrition also causes muscle weakness and decreased bone mass, which can lead residents to experience a harmful fall. In fact, in one study, malnourished patients were almost 8 times more likely to have an injurious fall than those their non-malnourished counterparts, regardless of age and/or body mass index. This is of particular concern as residents get more active with pandemic restrictions easing.

Like everything else weve done during the pandemic, we need a team approach to keep residents nourished and maintain healthy weights:

Assessing frailty is key to identifying those individuals who may be at greatest risk for weight loss, malnutrition and falls. As facilities open up, make sure these residents have access to nutritional supplements, assistive devices and physical therapy that can help keep them safe as life gets back to a semblance of normal.

March is National Nutrition Month, so this is the perfect opportunity to promote the importance of maintaining healthy weights and nutritional status. And dont forget the power of ice cream!

Steven Buslovich, M.D., is a New York-based geriatrician and co-founder/CEO of Patient Pattern, which develops software and other tech tools to bridge the gap between complex healthcare and technology.

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Ice cream and other ways to keep residents healthy post-pandemic - Guest columns - McKnight's Long Term Care News - McKnight's Long Term Care News

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Home » Long Term Weight Loss » Ice cream and other ways to keep residents healthy post-pandemic – Guest columns – McKnight’s Long Term Care News – McKnight’s Long Term Care News