Malnutrition
About 1 in every 2 older adults is at risk for malnutrition, and local senior nutrition providers may be the first to recognize the warning signs of malnutrition among the older adults they serve. Programs should be proactive in identifying and providing services and referrals to address malnutrition.
Infographics
- Malnutrition— Data on malnutrition in older adults and four steps to screen and intervene (Defeat Malnutrition Today, 2019)
- Reducing Malnutrition Through Senior Meal Programs — Community Preventive Services Task Force recommendation for home-delivered and congregate meal services (Administration for Community Living, 2022)
Quick Guides
- Aging Network's Role in Identifying Malnutrition and Abuse — Overview of malnutrition and elder abuse (Nutrition and Aging Resource Center, 2021)
- Malnutrition Screening Practices Quick Guide — Covers the who, what, why, and how of malnutrition screening practices for OAA nutrition programs (Nutrition and Aging Resource Center, 2023)
Tools & Toolkits
- Consumer Resource Hub— Infographics, videos, and resources for older adults and caregivers (Defeat Malnutrition Today)
- Professional Resource Hub— Studies, webinars, infographics, toolkits, and articles from (Defeat Malnutrition Today)
- Malnutrition Learning Collaborative State Resources — Guide for incorporating malnutrition into your state plan on aging (Nutrition and Aging Resource Center)
- Addressing Malnutrition in Community Living Older Adults — Toolkit for area agencies on aging to identify and address (Maryland Department of Aging, 2019)
Presentations
- Nourishing Older Adults: Insights from SUAs on Combating Malnutrition Through OAA State Plans (YouTube)— One-hour webinar on how SUAs take proactive steps to combat malnutrition by addressing it in their state plans on aging, with accompanying material: Nourishing Older Adults (Slides) (Nutrition and Aging Resource Center, 2023)
- Food Insecurity and Malnutrition (YouTube)— One-hour webinar that defines malnutrition and food insecurity, identifies root causes of malnutrition, and provides innovative approaches to combating malnutrition, with accompanying materials: Food Insecurity and Malnutrition (Slides), Food Insecurity and Malnutrition (Takeaway Sheet), and Food Insecurity and Malnutrition (Tip Sheet) (Administration for Community Living, 2021)
- Advocating for Older Adult Nutrition & Quality Measurement— 40-minute webinar, with accompanying material: Advocating for Older Adult Nutrition & Quality Measurement (Slides) (International Council on Active Aging, 2022)
- Enhanced DETERMINE Tool (YouTube)— Fifty-minute presentation on Wisconsin's Enhanced DETERMINE tool, used to screen and intervene for malnutrition in older adults (Nutrition and Aging Resource Center, 2022)
- Congregate and Home Delivered Meals (YouTube)— Two-minute video explaining how the Older Americans Act supports senior nutrition programs to help combat malnutrition and food insecurity (Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, 2024)
Reports
- Opportunities To Improve Nutrition for Older Adults and Reduce Risk of Poor Health Outcomes — Report on considerations for improving older adults’ health and well-being through malnutrition interventions (Administration for Community Living, 2017)
- Sustainable Healthy Diets — Implementing sustainably healthy diets to reduce malnutrition (United Nations and the World Health Organization, 2019)
- National Blueprint: Achieving Quality Malnutrition Care for Older Adults, 2020 Update— Report outlines strategies to prevent and treat malnutrition (Defeat Malnutrition Today, 2020)