PowerPoint Presentation · · 2015-07-12healthcare system •Food insecurity ... •Fluctuating...
Transcript of PowerPoint Presentation · · 2015-07-12healthcare system •Food insecurity ... •Fluctuating...
• 9.6 million seniors face the threat of hunger
• Our population is aging – every 7 seconds an individual turns 60
• Nearly ½ of America’s seniors live at or below 200% of the poverty line – less than $23,000 a year
• Resources are not keeping pace with the growing need
• Senior hunger is costly for individuals and our Nation’s healthcare system
• Food insecurity
• Limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe
foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in
socially acceptable ways
• Hunger
• The uneasy or painful sensation caused by a lack of food. The
recurrent and involuntary lack of access to food [that] may
produce malnutrition over time
Banlieu, S. M. Current and prospective scope of hunger and food security in America: A Review of current Research. RTI International.
Comparison of National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH) and USDA Figures on Food Security (2012).
National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH) Reports, 2008 – 2013.
AARP Foundation. Food Insecurity Among Older Adults. 2015 Update. http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/aarp_foundation/2015-PDFs/AF-Food-Insecurity-2015Update-Final-Report.pdf
AARP Foundation. Food Insecurity Among Older Adults. 2015 Update. http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/aarp_foundation/2015-PDFs/AF-Food-Insecurity-2015Update-Final-Report.pdf
AARP Foundation. Food Insecurity Among Older Adults. 2015 Update. http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/aarp_foundation/2015-PDFs/AF-Food-Insecurity-2015Update-Final-Report.pdf
• Fluctuating food supplies among food insecure households
work to undermine the establishment of regular dietary
patterns, altered biochemistry and increased risk of chronic
disease.
• Research suggests that food insecurity status is linked to poor
nutritional outcomes including lower caloric intake, fewer
meals per day, poor self-rated health, increased functional
impairment, and consumption of foods lower in nutrients.
Bernstein, Munuoz, 2012. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Food and Nutrition for Older
Adults: Promoting Health and Wellness. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 112(8):1255-1277.
Threatens Independence--Reduces Quality of Life--Increases Healthcare Costs
Limits Muscle Strength
Reduces Stamina
Prevents Physical Activity
Decreases ability to:
Perform ADLs & IADLs:
Eat, Walk, Grocery Shop, Prepare Meals
Grip Items & Lift Heavy Objects
Increases Dependency
Increases Need for Caregiver Assistance
Increases Risk for Falls & Fractures
Consequences of Poor Diet on Functionality
Schoenman, JA. The
concentration of
healthcare spending.
NIHCM Foundation Data
Brief, 2012.
http://www.nihcm.org/im
ages/stories/DataBrief3_
Final.pdf
Schoenman, JA. The
concentration of
healthcare spending.
NIHCM Foundation
Data Brief, 2012.
http://www.nihcm.org/
images/stories/DataB
rief3_Final.pdf
Schoenman, JA. The concentration of healthcare spending. NIHCM Foundation Data Brief, 2012. http://www.nihcm.org/images/stories/DataBrief3_Final.pdf
• There is a continuum of need
• Seniors can struggle with hunger for various reasons
• Some of these factors include:
• Accessibility
• Physical ability (shop, cook and prepare)
• Limited income
United States Department of Agriculture Programs
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program)
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
• The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
• Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)
• Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
Department of Health and Human Services Programs
• Older Americans Act
• Congregate
• Home-Delivered
• Nutrition Services Incentive Program
• Block Grants
• Community Services Block Grant
• Social Services Block Grant
• Community Development Block Grants
• Home and Community Based Services Waivers (Medicaid Waivers)
Examples of innovative practice: • Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs for homebound clients • SNAP Enrollment and outreach initiatives • Summer Food Service Programs that serve both children and older adults • Home-delivered meal program partnerships with food banks to offer weekend meals
Key Legislative Priorities
1. Fund Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Programs at
their FY 2010 level of $819 million
2. Reauthorize, strengthen and protect the Older
Americans Act
3. End sequestration for FY 2016 and beyond
1. Schedule site visits, meal deliveries & in-person meetings with Members of Congress, other elected officials and/or their staff.
2. Write letters, send emails & make phone calls.
3. Issue press releases, submit letters to the editor, & post, tweet & share via social media.
4. Attend town halls, public events & meetings held by candidates. Let them know the issues important to you and their constituents.
GOAL
Take One Action Each Month
• Older Americans have a continuum of need based on their
health, mobility and physical ability to access food and
prepare meals, as well as their income.
• An array of varied and complimentary nutrition and income
assistance programs are available at the federal, state and
local levels to meet the needs of each older adult.
• To eliminate senior hunger and associated healthcare and
societal costs, effective use of programs and partnerships is
critical.
• Which federal, state, and/or private nutrition assistance
programs are working to address senior hunger? Why do
you think they are succeeding?
• How is senior hunger changing in your community? How
is the role of your organization evolving to meet the
need?
• Think about local players in your community who are
working on these issues. What obstacles do they face?
What are they doing? How are they succeeding?
• What innovative opportunities or models for volunteerism
do you have your communities for engaging communities
to address the needs of vulnerable older adults?
• What other sectors or entities on the local and national
level should be a part of the conversation on senior
hunger that are not now? What can we do, locally and
nationally to get them involved?