Mobile Meals Programs Get Results
Posted on 03/20/2017
- 1 in 6 seniors in the US struggle with hunger (10 million Americans)
- Food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition are strong predictors of chronic & serious illness, including depression, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
- 16% of seniors in Oklahoma struggle with hunger
- Edmond Mobile Meals does 3 important things for the homebound seniors & disabled:
- Serves a nourishing meal to those who are unable to leave their homes due to age, illness or disability.
- Provides a daily wellness check & contacts family/neighbors or EMT if needed.
- Provides moments of human connection for those who are otherwise isolated & alone. Reminding them that they are not forgotten by their community.
- Meals on Wheels programs like Edmond Mobile Meals provide food security to our most vulnerable citizens.
- 85% of recipients say they eat healthier when receiving a home delivered meal
- 84% say it improves their health
- 92% say it helps them stay in their homes.
- Seniors remaining in their homes, out of hospitals & nursing homes, saves billions in medicare & Medicaid costs.
- UP to 50% of older adults may be malnourished.
- 33% of seniors admitted to the hospital are malnourished
- Malnourished seniors have increased hospital length of stay, increased readmissions, and greater mortality than those seniors who are not malnourished.
- 1 Year of a Meals on Wheels program is roughly equivalent to the cost of 1 day in the hospital or nursing home.
- Mobile Meals recipients are less likely to have to choose between paying for their food, medication or rent.
- Daily delivered meals decreases the likelihood of falling.
- More than 2.4 million seniors over the age of 65 were treated in emergency departments for injuries from falls in 2012 costing Medicare between $13,797 and $20,450 per fall. This comes out to about $34 billion each year.
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