New Testimony: Strengthening the Older Americans Act to Prevent Senior Hunger
<p>In <a href="/publications/publication/2011/jun/testimony-senior-hunger-and-older-americans-act">invited testimony</a> today before the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Mary Jane Koren, M.D., M.P.H., vice president for the Picker-Commonwealth Fund Long-Term Quality Improvement Program, made several federal-level recommendations for strengthening the nutritional programs that help frail older adults maintain their independence and well-being. </p>
<p>During the hearing, "Senior Hunger and the Older Americans Act," Dr. Koren also discussed why hunger, or undernutrition, is so common in this population; the consequences of undernutrition both for patients and for rising health care expenditures; and how home-delivered and congregate meals can help low-income seniors, their families, health care providers, and policymakers, especially in a time of constrained resources. </p>
<p>"Ensuring that old people have a balanced, nutritionally complete diet can reverse many of the consequences of malnutrition or prevent them outright," Koren said. "However, the importance of these programs transcends food—they give people not only something to eat, they give them a reason to eat." </p>
<p>Read the <a href="/publications/publication/2011/jun/testimony-senior-hunger-and-older-americans-act">complete testimony</a> online.</p>