WHAT ARE THE CURRENT CONDITIONS FOR OLDER ADULTS?

Not all older adults get the food and nutrition that they need. While it is obvious that hunger issues need to be addressed, proper nutrition is also important. Failure to meet food and nutrition needs contributes to poor outcomes for older adults.

Based on national estimates, of the estimated 74,000 older adults in Travis County in 2000, between 18,500 to 62,900 could be malnourished.

A number of aging-related conditions contribute to older adults not getting the food and nutrition they need:

• Decreased mobility makes traveling, shopping and preparing meals more difficult;
• Forgetfulness makes it more difficult to remember when and what to eat;
• Mouth problems, such as missing teeth or poor fitting dentures, make chewing and swallowing difficult;
• Depression can cause changes in appetite and digestion, making food less appealing (Wellman, Weddle, Kranz & Brain, 1996).

Nationally, it is estimated that 25 to 85 percent of older adults are malnourished. Older adults with incomes below 130% of the poverty line are at greatest risk for malnourishment (America's Second Harvest, 2000). This condition is associated with:

• significantly higher health care costs,
• more medical complications,
• longer hospital stays,
• more expensive and more frequent hospitalizations,
• longer recovery times, and
• earlier nursing home admission (Wellman et. al., 1996).

Like malnourishment, hunger is associated with poor outcomes. Individuals that struggle with hunger are at higher risk for stroke and poor brain function. Additionally, adequate food intake is necessary to ensure the effectiveness of prescription drugs - a critical issue for older adults, many of whom take numerous medications (America's, 2000).

It is estimated that only one-third of the elderly in need of food supports in the U.S. are reached by federal programs that provide these services (Wellman, et. al., 1996). A state by state review of Food Stamp programs found that less than 58% of individuals eligible to receive Food Stamps in Texas participate in the program. In Travis County, approximately 1,867 individuals age 65 or older

Only 35% of Travis County older adults who were eligible to receive food stamps accessed this benefit in FY 99.

received food stamps in FY 99, only 6% of the total number of Food Stamp recipients. However, there were at least 5,223 older adults who were eligible to receive the benefit. For households headed by an individual 60 or older, the average food stamp benefit in 1999 was $61.16 (Texas Department of Human Services, September 2000).

Non-participation in the Food Stamp program may be a result of how it is implemented. The Texas program has the following undesirable barriers:

• The program requires more than one office visit to complete the eligibility process;
• Applicants are not told upfront that they only need to provide their name, address and signature to begin the application process;
• Income information that is not required by federal law is required in Texas; and
• Texas is implementing electronic fingerprinting of applicants and investigates an estimated one-third of all applicants before they are certified to receive benefits (O'Brien et al 2000).

These characteristics may make the process overly burdensome and unappealing, particularly for older adult applicants. Additionally, information produced by the USDA suggests that pride and/or shame and inaccurate information may serve as barriers to older adults accessing available resources (USDA, 2000).

Research suggests that those who need food supports are going to other sources such as food pantries. Nationally, demand for food supports from hunger relief organizations has greatly increased. America's Harvest, the largest anti-hunger program in the nation, found that 16% of the clients accessing their food banks around the nation are older adults.

Current Efforts

A number of programs in Austin provide food and nutrition support for older adults. This section only considers home-delivered and congregate meals. Many organizations, including faith-based groups, also maintain food pantries that are available to older adults. An accurate assessment of food banks and the numbers they serve is not available for this community.

Meals on Wheels and More (MOW) reaches the largest number of home bound individuals in the community, the majority of whom are older adults. In 1999, MOW provided meals to 2,675 people. On average, MOW delivers 1,600 meals each weekday.

The Area Agency on Aging also provides home-delivered meals. In 1999, they reached 318 Travis County residents, providing over 50,000 meals.

The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department operates a congregate meal program at various senior centers and County community centers. This program reached 153,000 people in FY 1999-2000. (For more information on Current Efforts, see Appendix A).

Table 3.
Findings and Recommendations

FINDINGS	RECOMMENDATIONS
It is estimated that up to 85% of older adults are malnourished. Only 35% of eligible older adults receive food stamps. Older adults may have misperceptions about the Food Stamp program.	Increase the availability of food and nutrition educational materials designed for older adults and their families. Develop a strategy for connecting older adults with the food and nutrition services that can benefit them. Increase awareness of the benefits of Food Stamps and dispel misperceptions. Ensure that public and private service providers and case managers are familiar with services in the community and are making information available and helping clients get connected with services for which they are eligible. Distribute informational materials through social service providers, faith-based organizations, and City and County facilities. Consider non-traditional sources for partnerships such as utility companies, AARP or Social Security for distributing information. Donated radio and TV public service announcements may also be effective.
The process for applying for Food Stamps is burdensome and unappealing to older adults.	Work with state Food Stamp programs to streamline the eligibility process.
Information is lacking on the number of food banks operating in Austin/Travis County and the number of people they serve. This makes it difficult to gain a true understanding of the level of need in the community.	Consider conducting an assessment of the level of food and nutrition needs in the community.

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