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Weight and Nutrition in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care

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Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Practice ((CCP))

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Abstract

The nutritional needs of older adults in post-acute and long-term care (LTC) are influenced by many factors. Changes associated with normal aging, individual behavior, as well as drugs and progressive disease all increase nutritional risk. As with persons of all ages, maintaining proper nutrition and a healthy weight are important for persons who reside in the community, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. Ideally, optimal nutrition can improve health, function, quality of life, and reduce the risk of morbidity, mortality, and conditions such as osteoporosis, weakness, pressure sores, frailty, sarcopenia, and lack of resistance to infection. Weight loss is both a negative quality measure and a risk factor for poor outcomes, while survival is markedly improved with adequate nutrition. Maintaining appropriate nutrition, hydration, oral intake, and weight can pose a challenge especially for those who have dementia, depression, and gastrointestinal, neurological, musculoskeletal, or psychiatric disorders. Also, many drugs can affect appetite, chewing, swallowing, digestion, and bowel function that can lead to weight loss.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine/Geriatrics, Jefferson Abington Hospital, Abington, PA, USA

    Todd H. Goldberg

  2. Gastroenterology, Jackson, TN, USA

    Joel A. Levien

Authors
  1. Todd H. Goldberg
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  2. Joel A. Levien
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Family and Preventive Medicine, OU Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA

    Peter Winn

  2. The University of Pennsylvania, Jenkintown, PA, USA

    Pamela A. Fenstemacher

  3. Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Richard G. Stefanacci

  4. Department of Geriatrics, Penn Medicine, Lancaster General Health, Lancaster, PA, USA

    R. Scott DeLong

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Goldberg, T.H., Levien, J.A. (2023). Weight and Nutrition in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care. In: Winn, P., Fenstemacher, P.A., Stefanacci, R.G., DeLong, R.S. (eds) Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Current Clinical Practice. Humana, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28628-5_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28628-5_12

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-28627-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-28628-5

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