Free
60mins
Dementia and Nutritional Care: New Insights
Alexandra Rees, Sophia Cornelius
Wednesday 25 June 2025 20:00–21:00 BST
Dementia and Nutritional Care: New Insights
Alexandra Rees, Sophia Cornelius
Wednesday 25 June 2025 20:00–21:00 BST
Free
60mins
CONTENT AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Food is about more than just nutrition – it’s also deeply tied to enjoyment, identity, and wellbeing. But for people living with dementia, eating and mealtimes can become increasingly difficult and distressing. This webinar takes a holistic approach to supporting individuals with dementia to meet their nutritional needs while maintaining food as a positive and enjoyable part of daily life.
We’ll also explore the vital role of specialist nutrition in supporting health, dignity and independence. With innovations such as Finger Foods, Mini Meals Extra and Texture Modified Meals, there are now more tailored ways than ever to meet complex nutritional needs. By aligning with the latest BDA Digest guidelines, this webinar will show how a food-first approach can help reduce mealtime stress and improve quality of care.
Join us to gain practical strategies, insights into product development, and ideas to enhance nutritional care for individuals living with dementia.
This webinar will cover:
- How dementia can affect appetite, eating habits and the overall mealtime experience
- Why a holistic, person-centred approach is key to supporting nutrition and enjoyment of food
- Strategies to reduce mealtime stress while promoting dignity and independence
- The latest innovations in Finger Foods, Mini Meals Extra and Texture Modified Meals
- How to apply a food-first approach aligned with the latest BDA Digest guidelines
- Practical tips and behind-the-scenes insight into developing foods that meet complex needs
Presentation 1: Psychosocial approach to supporting people living with dementia
Presentation 2: From Concept to Care: Specialist Nutrition Solutions for Dementia
Presentation 1:
Gain understanding of
- Understand the importance of life story in shaping personalised nutritional advice and support.
- Explore how physical health conditions can influence nutritional intake in people living with dementia.
- Recognise how common symptoms of dementia can impact appetite and food consumption.
Be aware of
- Identify environmental changes that can support a more positive mealtime experience.
- Understand how a person’s current reality may influence their eating habits and dietary intake.
- Recognise the role of effective communication in supporting nutritional intake.
Be able to
- Provide practical strategies to help identify the causes of changes in appetite and food intake.
- Provide practical strategies to support individuals experiencing changes in appetite and food intake.
- Explain why food and eating are about more than just nutrition for people living with dementia.
Presentation 2:
Gain understanding of
- How Specialist Nutrition ranges such as Finger Foods, Mini Meals Extra, and Texture Modified Meals can support a food first approach in dementia care.
- The impact of innovation in product development on nutritional intake, dining experience, and dignity for people living with dementia.
- The importance of adapting food presentation, portion size, and meal structure to improve nutritional intake in people living with dementia.
Be aware of
- How a Specialist Nutrition product progresses from initial concept through research, development, and trial to implementation.
- The specific challenges and regulatory requirements involved in developing safe, appealing, and nutritionally appropriate texture modified meals.
- The additional chapter of the BDA Digest for catering in mental health and learning disability settings, with particular focus on dementia care and the promotion of a food first approach.
Be able to
- Identify which Specialist Nutrition ranges are appropriate to meet a variety of complex nutritional needs in people living with dementia.
- Apply practical strategies to integrate Finger Foods, Mini Meals Extra, and Texture Modified Meals into daily care plans to improve intake and dining experience.
- Communicate effectively with catering, care, and clinical teams to implement food first initiatives in line with the BDA Nutrition and Hydration Digest.
Help us to continue providing expert nutrition learning
If MyNutriWeb has helped you deepen your knowledge of dietary and nutritional subjects, join us to help support and educate people to eat well for themselves and the planet. Read more...
Expert speakers
Alexandra Rees
Clinical Lead Dietitian
Alexandra graduated as a dietitian 15 years ago. She currently works in the NHS as part of a specialist multidisciplinary team supporting people living with dementia in the community experiencing stress or distress. Prior to this role Alexandra worked as a Care Home Support Dietitian.
Sophia Cornelius
Development Dietitian, apetito & Wiltshire Farm Foods
sophia.cornelius@apetito.co.uk
Starting out in the NHS, Sophia built broad clinical experience before specialising as a Renal Dietitian. Now in industry, Sophia champions the role of nutrition in product innovation, writes for healthcare publications, and speaks at national events – passionate about driving change and improving lives through better, smarter nutrition solutions.
CHAIR
Tanya Haffner
CEO RD MyNutriWeb
Tanya is a registered dietitian, CEO, and founder of MyNutriWeb educational hub and Nutrilicious consultancy and communications. With 30+ years of experience working across healthcare and the food sector, she supports professionals, organisations and brands to deliver on nutrition, health and sustainability. She is current Chair of the British Dietetic Association’s Sustainable Diets Group, supporting members to embed sustainability across dietetic and nutrition practice.
CPD CERTIFICATE & LEARNING MATERIALS
This webinar is approved for CPD by the AfN
Webinar slides and links to other key resources will be sent within 2 weeks of viewing the webinar, along with a separate personalised CPD certificate to save for your files. Add hello@mynutriweb.com to your safe senders to ensure you receive them.
This webinar is kindly supported by Wiltshire Farm Foods and The BDA Older People Specialist Group (OPSG)
About Wiltshire Farm Foods
As experts in nutrition, Wiltshire Farm Foods has been developing home delivered ready meals for over 30 years. They have a team of registered dietitians and expert chefs who work closely to ensure all their meals support their customers’ nutritional needs. The award-winning Softer Foods range has been created for those with swallowing difficulties – to ensure that everyone has access to a safe and nutritious meal. To find out more visit their website or order a FREE copy of their Softer Foods brochure
About The BDA Older People Specialist Group (OPSG)
The BDA Older People Specialist Group (OPSG) is the group for dietitians with an interest in older people’s nutrition. The group brings together dietitians with an interest in the nutrition of older people – ‘we believe nutrition for older adults is a specialism on a par with any other area of dietetic expertise’.
Please note, approval of each sponsor and activity is carefully assessed for suitability on a case by case basis. Sponsorship does not imply any endorsement of the brand by MyNutriWeb, its organisers, its moderators or any participating healthcare professional, or their association. Sponsorship funds are reinvested into the creation and promotion of professional development opportunities on MyNutriWeb.
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