nutrition

On December 15, 2022 U.S. Senate Special Committe on Aging held a hearing to recognize the impact of federal nutrition assistance programs in reducing hunger among older adults. At the hearing, the Committee released a bipartisan report, entitled “Recognizing 50 Years of the Nation’s First Nutrition Program for Older Adults.” The report celebrates the role of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program in reducing hunger, promoting health, and enhancing the wellbeing and quality of life of older adults. The Committee also released state-by-state fact sheets highlighting the impact of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program in each Committee member’s state.

The Nutrition and Aging Resource Center has partnered with the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP) to conduct a survey of local senior nutrition providers and area agencies on aging on the status of successfully reopened congregate meal sites after the COVID-19 pandemic. The input from this survey will be used to develop webinars, trainings, and other resources that will be housed in the Resource Center in order to share best practices.

As an Area Agency on Aging (AAA), AgeSpan engages in innovative partnerships with housing providers through the Massachusetts Supportive Housing Program. In northeastern Massachusetts, AgeSpan pursues solutions that bring together housing and supportive services. Why? Many older adults and people with disabilities not only need afordable and accessible housing, but also supportive services that enable them to be as independent as possible. Assistance with nutrition, transportation, personal care, medication management, and chore services are just a few examples of these critical services.

This series of three AARP Public Policy Institute and Mathematica Spotlight reports analyze SNAP participation among older adults and the policies that affect it.

This March 2022 News in Health issue explores various components of rural health in America. The issue explains how geography, access to care, and telehealth impact health outcomes for individuals in living in rural areas, and provides tips for how to build healthier communities.

ACL’s Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion Programs (ONHPP) has released a new collection of resources to help senior nutrition programs better understand and meet dietary guidelines, as well as requirements of the Older Americans Act (OAA).

The Nutrition and Aging Resource Center is seeking input from those who work with Older Americans Act (OAA) funded programs, such as Area Agencies on Aging, State Units on Aging, and local providers of nutrition services. Survey responses will help inform the future direction of the Center’s programming, training, and research in the area of older adult nutrition services. The survey will take 15 - 30 minutes to complete.

This month, ACL is recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Senior Nutrition Program with the theme, "Celebrate. Innovate. Educate." ACL has shared a few items to help promote senior nutrition programs on the anniversary webpage, including social media graphics, activity ideas, and news releases.

ACL is collecting material from local nutrition programs, including photographs, quotes, newspaper clippings, and other materials that highlight Senior Nutrition Programs. In the request, ACL asks for high-quality JPG/PNGs of all types of nutrition activities, from grab-and-go events to nutrition education classes. A release form must be signed by every person shown. Please include the program name, location, a brief description of what is being shared, and the year it was published/produced. Submissions must be received by email by March 18, 2022.

As part of the Senior Nutrition Program 50th Anniversary celebration, ACL is soliciting nominations for nutrition “Champion awards.” These awards will recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Senior Nutrition Program at the state, area, and local levels. The deadline to submit nominations is March 2, 2022.