NUTRITION PROGRAMS

Program Evaluation / Effectiveness

A comprehensive national evaluation of the Elderly Nutrition Program 1993-1995 produced key findings:

1. The programs serve who they are supposed to serve
2. They link effectively with larger systems of health and long term care.
3. The meals are nutritionally significant to the older adults who receive them.
4. The program is operated in a cost-effective manner.
5. They successfully leverage federal funds appropriated with local dollars.

Why it's important

• Nutrition program services are the foundation services of home and community-based care for older adults and their families
• Studies show 5 of the top 6 chronic health conditions may be prevented, delayed or managed through improved nutrition services
• About 50% of older adults in hospitals and nursing homes are malnourished and may be discharged malnourished back into the community
• The cost of a one year supply of home delivered meals equals about the cost of one day in the hospital
• Local dollars leverage state and federal funds
• Seniors in poor nutritional status are more likely to need home care or be institutionalized, especially when community nutrition services such as meal programs and shopping assistance are not used or available

The Importance of Nutrition on Aging and Health Care Costs and Outcomes

• According to the Nutrition Screening initiative (NSI) for every $1 invested in nutrition programs, $3.25 is saved in health care costs
• The cost of treating malnourished hospital clients were four times greater than the costs for the care of clients who were well nourished. $12,683 compared to $2,968
• Malnutrition contributes to costly health care outcomes in a number of ways, it is linked to:
  • more complications
  • higher morbidity and mortality
  • increased functional dependence
  • higher rates of hospital readmission
• Older persons at nutritional risk as compared to well nourished hospital patients:
  • Have 2-20 times more complications
  • Have hospital stays as much as 100% longer
  • Compile costs $2,000 - $1000 higher
• Malnourished older Americans get more infections and diseases, their injuries take 1onger to heal and surgery on them is riskier
• Kaiser Permenente in California found that nutrition screening and intervention reduced hospital utilization 25% - 45,%
• Seniors with poor nutritional status are more likely to need home care or be institutionalized, especially when community nutrition services such as meal programs and shopping assistance are not used or available
• Nutrition is especially important for the elderly, because of their vulnerabi1ity to health problems and physical and cognitive,.impairments
• 25% or 728,000 seniors are at nutritional risk in New York State
• l36,000 seniors in New York State who are in need are not receiving home-delivered meals. 101,000 of these are similarly homebound with no informal supports
• Senior meal programs provide 40% - 50% of a senior’s daily nutrient intake, making them a key component in their nutritional status
• For every public dollar spent on nutrition programs, $1.70 is leveraged from other sources for congregate meals and $3.35, is leveraged for home-delivered meals

prepared by the Nutrition Consortium of New York State November l997