Connect…Collaborate…Catalyze: Enhancing Older Adult Nutrition From Theory to Practice

Malnutrition, food insecurity, and health literacy is of concern within the older adult community and a barrier for healthful living Throughout academia, health care organizations, and community service opportunities nutritional education is consistently provided, yet malnutrition, diet inconsistencies, and food insecurity within the community dwelling older adult population persists. According to Callen (2010), the ability for nurses to detect correctable problems in attaining proper nutrition is paramount to the health and welfare of older adults. Advocates of nutrition provide expert teaching sessions, but the reality for many older adults is there are multiple barriers to proper nutrition. Inability to read small print labels, health literacy, optimal food choices, food deserts, and in the retail sector food placement of nutritious yet affordable items are barriers incurred by elders. In addition, financial barriers are evident within the older adult population which can lead to food insecurity (Hernandez, Reesor, & Murilo, 2017)

An ethnographic approach regarding the impact nutritional education had on community dwelling older adults was undertaken inclusive of health literacy, foods commonly purchased, and financial concerns that may impede their nutritional status.

Understanding older adult food choices, the ability to obtain food, and assessment of health literacy can help the nurse to address nutritional concerns. Collaboration with independent and corporate community grocers, food banks, and strategically placed food pantries where older adults reside is necessary to improve the nutritional status of older adult… a vulnerable population.

Findings concurred that the majority of older adults observed could not manage to read the labels due to the print, items holding high nutrition and economic value were often placed out of reach, low nutritional value frozen single item pre-prepared meals on sale were the items most frequently purchased., limited fresh food items were selected. Based on these findings to improve older adults’ nutritional status, the author met with community grocers, community centers, provided shopping assistance for the elderly and recipes for food products commonly obtained from food pantries. Additionally, a “free little food pantry” was built and placed in an urban area considered to be a food desert within the community to provide nutritious food for participants through the university Sigma chapter, food drives and collaboration with a neighborhood church to provide ongoing funding to sustain this project.

To address health literacy, in-services were provided to local health care organizations to improve patient teaching strategies by identifying those who have difficulty in reading and comprehending the written word.

Advocacy was inclusive of meeting with grocers to relocate food items, students assisted older adults in collaboration with a local senior center for a weekly shopping day to assist low income elders to shop, collaboration with local food banks for easy, nutritious recipes using typical donations, collaboration with local churches for meal preparation and communal dining experiences.