Recently Hospital-Discharged Older Adults Are Vulnerable and May Be Underserved by the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program

The home-delivered meal (HDM) program of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program (OAANP) has traditionally served frail homebound older adults; however, due to gaps in the continuum of care, enrollment in this program following hospital discharge remains a challenge. Trained interviewers at 6 HDM sites in 6 U.S. states assigned 566 hospital-discharged individuals, ages 60-96 years, into either early (48 hour) or delayed (2 weeks) enrollment groups and assessed their health and nutrition status. Regardless of elapsed time at enrollment, more than 80% reported at least one limitation in activities and instrumental activities of daily living. About 20% had impaired cognition and more than 40% had depressive symptoms. Also, 40% reported fair or poor appetite. Despite intense recruitment from hospitals, only 30% of participants were referred from hospitals. The recently hospital-discharged older adult population may include a higher prevalence of individuals with poor functional status and at nutritional risk than participants in the OAANP HDM program and yet may be underserved by this program.