Community-Based Nutrition Programs: Validating the Continued Need for Congregate Dining Services Among Low-Income Older Adults

Background: Nearly 10 million older adults in the United States have experienced food insecurity, and rates of food insecurity are expected to rise with the growing older adult population. Certain groups of low-income older adults are at particular risk for food insecurity, such as those who reside in rural areas, have disabilities, and live alone. To address the nutritional needs of these vulnerable groups, the Older Americans Act (OAA) established congregate dining services to provide older adults with healthy meals as well as with opportunities to socialize and receive nutrition counseling. Unfortunately, newly proposed government budget cuts would limit services and meals provided through OAA, impacting the nutritional intake of millions of older adults who rely on OAA meals for daily sustenance.  

Due to their ability to facilitate older adult engagement at congregate dining sites and connect older adults with community resources, social workers are ideally situated to advocate for continued OAA programming. This study examined the 2015 National Survey of OAA Participants to identify congregate dining trends and confirm the value for OAA services at the community level. Findings from this study provide evidence to support the need for future government funding for OAA.

Methods: Data were obtained from over 900 adults, age 60 and older, who completed the Congregate Meals subsection of the 2015 National Survey of OAA Participants. Participants were randomly selected from 312 Area Agencies on Aging throughout the United States who provided congregate dining services. The sample participants were predominantly female (68.5%); white (80.4%); not married (60.3%); and had an annual household income of less than $30,000 (70.6%).

Results: The National Survey of OAA Participants indicated that congregate dining services provided older adults with multiple benefits related to nutritional status and well-being. Data trends indicated that 79.7% of participants believed the congregate dining program helped them consume healthier foods; over 65% of participants believed that the congregate dining program contributed to their ability to remain living in their own home; 86.2% of participants were able to socialize more regularly because of the dining program; 17.3% of participants indicated they did not always have enough money or food stamps to purchase foods; 60.3% of participants had 5 or more medical conditions; and 56.8% of participants had at least one functional impairment.   

Conclusions and Implications: Remaining free of disability and disease are key features of successful aging, especially for older adults with multiple health conditions who are at an increased risk of food insecurity and hospitalization. These findings indicate that congregate dining programs provide vulnerable older adults with needed services that improve their perceived access to healthy foods, levels of socialization, and abilities to remain living in their own homes. Results support the continued need for OAA’s congregate dining services; social workers are encouraged to refer to these data when advocating for the needs of older adults at the local, state, and federal policy levels.