In the United States, many seniors and older adults may need help paying for their meals. Many seniors do not work and live on a fixed income, and various factors can affect their ability to pay for meals.
Senior citizens need extra care when it comes to nutrition to help them stay as active and healthy as possible. Many programs across the United States are in place to help ensure the elderly can receive healthy meals and a wealth of educational resources and materials depending on the programs. Good health is essential for physical ability, mental stability, and an overall positive quality of life.
Each nutrition program is designed to help reduce hunger, provide nutritional education, promote social health and wellbeing by providing meals in group settings, and help delay adverse health conditions that accompany old age. Here are a few of the more well-known programs available.
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program’s goal is geared towards improving the health of low-income people of sixty years old by supplying them with USDA nutrition-approved foods. This program is run by the USDA and distributes food and administrative funds to states and Indian Tribal Organizations that participate in this program.
The way the CSFP works is the funding allocated to this program provides commodities and administrative funds to states which turn and transport the food to local agencies for distribution. Participants of the CSFP pick up their monthly food package at local food banks or designate an authorized person to pick up the package for them. Some programs may offer delivery services to participants’ homes, which is invaluable for seniors with limited mobility. The income requirements for CSFP are that older adults must not make more than 130% of the federal poverty line.
Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)
The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program was established to help seniors with low-income lives. This assistance is through access to locally grown fruits and vegetables. This program also looks to help increase the consumption of agricultural commodities through farmers’ markets, agricultural programs, and roadside stands. With the community’s support and the funds allocated to the economy, the program aids in the development of helping more farmers and communities put together more resources for people in the community to buy locally.
The SFMNP is available to low-income seniors who are 60 years old and have a household income of no more than 185% of the federal poverty income guidelines for the year. Federal funding for the program also comes from The Farm Bill. Federal funds support 90% of food costs, while the remaining 10% go to the program’s administrative costs.
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
The Child and Adult Care Food Program is a federal program reimbursed for nutritious meals and snacks for children enrolled in childcare and daycare centers and adults enrolled in adult daycare. CACFP also assists children enrolled in after school care and programs along with adults over 60 living with disabilities.
This program provides reimbursement to help lower the costs of serving nutritious meals that older adults need to maintain or improve their health. To be eligible, centers must provide adults with care needs in a community-based setting outside of their residence that helps seniors increase social interaction and assist with daily living activities.
The providers of the adult daycare centers are eligible to apply by contacting the state agency to find out if they qualify. Public or private nonprofits are eligible to apply.
USDA funds the CACFP and determines eligibility for foods. Meals must meet USDA nutritional requirements to be reimbursable.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is a federal program designated to help individuals and families in need of food assistance. The program is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Nutrition Service. This program has eligibility requirements for older adults, and they are eligible if they are 60 years or older and meet the required income eligibility criteria.
Older adults are eligible even if they are residents of federally subsidized housing and receive some meal benefits from meals on wheels. Elderly and disabled people qualify for certain deductions that can help increase their monthly SNAP benefits, such as excess medical expenses, which are anything over 35 dollars a month. The income eligibility requirements are if the older adult’s income is no more than 165 percent of the poverty level.
Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program
The Older Americans Act Nutrition Program works through the ACL’s Administration on Aging (AoA) to provide nutrition services for older people throughout the United States. This service provides home-delivered meals, and healthy meals served to senior citizens in group settings such as senior centers and religious-based locations such as churches.
The program offers a variety of services in addition to providing food that includes nutrition screening, assessments, counseling, and education on nutrition. The goal of the OAA program is to provide services to older adults that intend to reduce hunger, ensure food security, and prevent malnutrition.
Those eligible are adults 60 years or older, and either have a lower income, older adults in rural communities with limited English proficiency, or adults at risk of institutional care.
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels America is a program designed to help deliver homebound meals to people over 60 years old and individuals who have mobility issues that makes it difficult to shop for food, socialize with others, prepare meals, or Seniors enrolled in the program can expect a nutritious meal, socialization through the staff member who delivers the food, and the daily delivery provides a safety check to ensure the person is safe.
The daily safety check ensures that medics are called, families are notified, and seniors are not forgotten. Meals on Wheels also may provide other services such as picking up pet food, supplements, or medications.
