National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging

The mission of the Administration on Aging (AoA) is to help older adults maintain their dignity and independence in their homes and communities through comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective systems of long-term care and livable communities across the United States. In order to accomplish this mission, targeted policy, strategic planning, and quality core services are necessary at the national, state, and local levels. The aging services network is serving a continuum of aging individuals in the community from those who need health promotion, disease prevention and risk reduction services to an increasingly vulnerable and frail population with a need for long-term supports and services. Adequate nutrition is essential for the health and continued independence of this entire continuum of elders. Access to adequate, quality food and nutrition services is an important component of a comprehensive and coordinated plan for aging services provision. As the largest community based food and nutrition program in the U.S. targeted to older adults, it is essential that the OAA Nutrition Program be positioned as a critical program in long term service and support systems across the country. The OAA Nutrition Program is implemented in states and local communities by 4,000 nutrition service providers. About half of State Units on Aging (SUA) employ a full time nutrition professional or access a nutrition consultant. Currently, there is limited AoA staff devoted to advance quality nutrition programming in the aging network. A technical assistance resource center will be essential to successfully supporting the aging services network in providing quality nutrition services for older adults today and in the future. Older adults served by the OAA Nutrition Program, especially those in the home delivered program, are less healthy, more functionally impaired, more likely to live alone, and have lower incomes than the average older American. Nutrition services are a prevention, risk reduction or treatment modality for seven of the eight chronic health conditions. Food insecurity and hunger is increasing nationally in the older adult population. Due in part to state and local financial constraints, meal services are being reduced and some states are unable to implement other nutrition services such as screening, assessment, education or counseling that could address lifestyle risk factors key to maintaining independence in the community. A national Resource Center should be able to work effectively with national, state, and local nutrition programs to address these issues.