Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs: A Community-Based Nutrition Program Helping Older Adults Remain at Home

Abstract

Nutrition interventions are important as the older population, most of whom live in the community, increases in size and diversity. They are key to leading a healthy, functional life and mitigating chronic health conditions. The Older Americans Act Nutrition Program served 86.3 million congregate and 137.4 million home-delivered meals to 1.6 million and 850,000 older adults, respectively (2012). Congregate and home-delivered participants were older, poorer, sicker, more functionally impaired, and at a greater risk of institutionalization than the general U.S. older population. The Nutrition Program is publically and privately funded. About 44% of congregate and 30% of home-delivered expenditures are from federal sources, which dropped from $25 per older adult in 1990 to $12 in 2013. Despite multiple funding sources, funding is insufficient for the expanding older population. Health, nutrition, and social service professionals need to coordinate their community-based services to truly help older adults remain in their homes.

Keywords: Meals on Wheels; congregate meals; home-delivered meals; hunger; malnutrition; older adults; senior centers.