Volume 2, Issue 11

Meals on Wheels Atlanta

Meals on Wheels Atlanta is reaching participants in innovative ways with its breakfast box program. The program has grown wildly popular. Hear more from Christopher Kelly, Executive Chef of Meals on Wheels Atlanta.

Power Up Your Congregate Meal Program - Tips to Keep Those We Serve at the Table

Join ACL’s Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion Programs (ONHPP) and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) for a webinar on November 17 from 3-4p ET on the topic of how to retain congregate meal program participants. In the last webinar on this topic — which can be viewed on the NCOA website — speakers addressed attracting new participants to congregate meal sites. In the upcoming session, the speakers will help attendees to:

• Understand the behaviors and preferences of older adults attending congregate nutrition sites.
• Understand ways to keep congregate participants coming back.
• Apply learned techniques to increase congregate and other program participation.

Voluntary Contributions

Voluntary contributions are important to many meal programs, yet managing them can be a challenge. We have a new Voluntary Contributions toolkit full of resources to help meal programs maximize this important funding source.

Nutrition Requirements

What does the Older Americans Act say about nutrition requirements? Are requirements different with the most recent 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans? What are the DGAs and DRIs and how do they affect meals being served? The nutrition requirements of the Older Americans Act are explained in this updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guide.

Year One Communications Report

Congratulations! If you are reading this, you are being reached by the Nutrition and Aging Resource Center. The Iowa Department on Aging in a collaborative agreement with the Administration for Community Living has been managing the Resource Center for a full year now, and we just released our Year One Communications Report. The report documents the various ways we are reaching the aging nutrition network to provide timely and useful resources to enhance the services provided.

Impact of Medically Tailored Meals

A recent study from Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy indicates the enormous potential impact of medically tailored meals for those who most need the service. The findings show that 1.6 million hospitalizations could be avoided while saving an estimated $13.6 billion dollars if medically tailored meals were provided across the nation to those with diet-sensitive conditions and activity limitations. Read the full study.

Prescribed Meals to Keep Patients Out of the Hospital

The states of Massachusetts and Oregon have recently been approved by CMS to provide Medically Tailored Meals to Medicaid recipients. States such as New York and Washington are expected to receive approval later this year for similar initiatives. These meals could have a large positive health impact on those who receive them.

Webinar: Incorporating Nutrition-Focused Physical Exams

The Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam (NFPE) is an important tool for registered dietitians to utilize in the fight against malnutrition. This process helps dietitians to identify patients with malnutrition or those who are at risk of malnutrition. This webinar on Wednesday, November 9, from 11 am to 12 pm ET will help dietitians sharpen skills and provide better outcomes for patients.

This project was supported in part by grant number 90PPNU0002 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.