As many as 40% of older Americans have incomes of less than $6000 per year. Having less and choosing to spend less as you see the prices rise in the grocery store, makes it very hard to spend $25-$30/week on food that will keep you healthy.
One program that targets the nutrition of low-income elderly is the Administration on Aging (AOA) Elderly Nutrition Program which offers a variety of nutrition services to the elderly throughout the nation. These programs provide for congregate and home-delivered meals, and each meal must provide at least 1/3 of the recommended dietary allowances established by government. Although there is no means test to be eligible, the over 4,000 such nutrition programs across the US primarily serve low-income elderly among those 3 million plus individuals who depend on the meals provided daily.
The Elder Nutrition Program is not just about getting nutritious food to the table, it is also about helping seniors access a range of services such as nutrition screening, assessment, and education to help an individual meet needs that may be threatening their independence. Volunteers and paid staff who work in the program have an important role in reporting any health or other problem that they learn of when delivering the meals or interacting at the congregate meal sites so that other community-based services such as homemakers, home health aide services, transportation or physical activity programs can be accessed and help to keep a senior at home and independent longer.
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