In response, Comfort Keepers across the nation has launched “STOP Senior Hunger,” a campaign to raise visibility for the tremendous need for overarching senior nutrition programs, education, family detection and support.
“September is Hunger Action Month, so it is a good time to shed light on this growing epidemic facing many across America,” says Lori Eberly, owner of the Iredell County Comfort Keepers. “Through STOP Senior Hunger, we are educating others about the importance of helping seniors maintain healthy, independent lives,.”
It is estimated that 50 percent of seniors at risk of hunger live over the poverty level. The implications are serious and could mean the potential for increased hospital stays, increased health complications, early entry into assisted living facilities or premature death.
Healthy food obstacles
Purchasing nutritious foods can be difficult for seniors for many reasons:
• Poverty or fixed incomes: Not all seniors qualify for government food assistance programs, a d those who do are sometimes limited to the types of foods they can purchase. Thirty percent of senior households served by Feeding America reported choosing between food and medical care.
• Difficulty planning, traveling or shopping: Seniors face difficulty when it comes time to plan, purchase and prepare nutritious meals. Grocery store trips can be problematic with small aisles, limited convenient parking and cumbersome packages.
Lack of transportation and personal mobility can reduce a senior’s desire to shop, and prevent them from getting the nutritious foods they need.
• Living alone: Nutrient-rich food items such as produce often go bad before seniors eat it. Some seniors don’t know how to cook for one and may face difficulty if cooking for the first time, common in senior men.
How to help
Here are some things family caregivers can do to stop senior hunger every day:
• Offer your help: By asking a senior adult if they need help with something like grocery shopping, you are offering support. Help is not always monetary.
• Be an advocate: Whether you are caring for an aging parent, relative or family friend, you can be an advocate for them. Learn to detect the signs of malnutrition and hunger in your older loved ones. Pay attention to their eating habits, keep them company during meal time or invite them for a family meal. When you take your loved one for a doctor visit, be sure to discuss their changing nutritional needs with their doctor.
• Find out where to get assistance: Locate local and federal programs that can help seniors obtain nutritious food, including the Commodities Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. Also, check out Meals on Wheels Association of America or Feeding America to see if there is a senior food distribution program in your neighborhood.
• Understand what good nutrition means: Seniors can improve their quality of life and preserve their independence longer by making dietary changes. About 30 million older
Americans live with chronic diseases for which nutrition therapies can be effective in managing and treating, according to the American Dietetics Association.
Comfort Keepers is accepting food donations for seniors in need, Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at its office at 156-A N Broad St., in Mooresville. For more information, call 704-663-3989. For more information about the Comfort Keepers STOP Senior Hunger campaign, visit www.stopseniorhunger.com.
