MEALS ON WHEELS AND HOSPITALS
WORKING TOGETHER

WITH SUPPORT FROM THE AETNA FOUNDATION

With funding from the Aetna Foundation, Meals on Wheels America and the American Hospital Association’s Health Research and Education Trust (HRET/AHA) have agreed to collaborate to identify and share practice- and research-informed insights to support the nutrition status of older adults as they transition from hospital to home.

Through this effort, our organizations engaged front-line staff at select community-based Meals on Wheels programs and hospitals/healthcare systems in key informant interviews to identify barriers to addressing the nutrition needs of older adults along the continuum of care. Equipped with our learnings, we can work together to raise awareness of the issue of malnutrition in the older adult population and to partner across the country to ensure that all seniors have their nutrition needs identified and addressed in all care settings.

Learn more about how your Meals on Wheels program or hospital/healthcare system can support this call to action below.

THE ISSUE OF MALNUTRITION AND ITS RISK FACTORS

With the rapidly growing older adult population, there is a need for community food and nutrition programs focusing on ameliorating malnutrition and food insecurity during transitions of care. Recognition of the importance of social determinants of health and a focus on population health have fueled an interest in building bridges between clinical and non-clinical care providers. Partnerships between hospital discharge planners and local Meals on Wheels programs present opportunities to build that critical bridge from hospital to home. During the period of time immediately following discharge, it is important that older adults connect to community-based service providers like Meals on Wheels programs to ensure that any changes in condition can be observed and addressed before the situation results in an emergency department visit or a readmission.

Below is a collection of white papers and case studies exploring social determinants of health, hospital-community partnerships and more.

FOOD INSECURITY
AND THE ROLE OF HOSPITALS

HOSPITAL-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO BUILD A CULTURE OF HEALTH

SCREENING FOR
SOCIAL NEEDS

FoodInsecurityHospitals2

HospitalCommunityPartnerships2

ScreeningForSocialNeeds2

LEARN MORE

COLLABORATING ACROSS ALL SETTINGS OF CARE

Malnutrition of older adults is common and frequently unrecognized, making it one of the most challenging health problems across the continuum of care. Sixty percent of hospitalized older adults may be malnourished, leading to higher healthcare costs, longer stays, higher readmission rates and increased risk of dying.

To help make a difference in the lives of the seniors we serve and seniors eligible for our services, we can communicate, coordinate and collaborate to: 1) identify nutrition needs, 2) provide sound nutrition education and 3) share data to address the resource needs. Early nutrition screening and interventions for those who are malnourished or at risk for malnutrition can prevent or alleviate malnutrition and support recovery during care transitions. This is why Meals on Wheels programs and hospital/healthcare systems are well-positioned to collaborate to ensure that the nutrition needs of seniors are addressed along the continuum of care. Learn more below.

NUTRITION SCREENING

Learn more about the range of practical tools, resources, case studies and ideas to help you develop and implement a plan to address malnutrition in the older adults you serve here.

CLIENT EDUCATION

Help older adults understand what foods to eat to assist in managing health conditions and prevent chronic disease onset here.

DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING

Leverage existing online tools, reports and resources to help your organization improve support the nutrition needs of older adults:

HOSPITAL STAFF MEALS ON WHEELS STAFF

START YOUR PARTNERSHIP TODAY

THE FIRST STEP IS GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER

IF YOU'RE A HOSPITAL

Find your contact information for the Meals on Wheels programs in your community by typing in your zip code or search by city and state here.

IF YOU'RE A MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA MEMBER

Learn more about local hospitals across the country using the American Hospital Association Guide here.

And, if you want to learn more about the benefits of partnering, what it means to your program and the impact it can have locally, watch the on-demand webinar "Recipe for Success: Addressing Malnutrition in Older Adults."

VIEW WEBINAR

MEALS ON WHEELS AND HOSPITALS WORKING TOGETHER