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• 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

Feeding America & AARP Foundation. Baby Boomers and Beyond: Facing Hunger after Fifty 2015.

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?