Six percent of the elderly who live at home in the US are malnourished, and the rate doubles among those in nursing homes, where it is 14%, according to a 2010 study. Malnutrition increases older adults’ risk of illness, frailty, and infection. Malnourished people visit the doctor and are admitted to the hospital more often, have longer hospital stays, and recover more slowly from surgery.
Not surprisingly, financial hardship is a central cause of elder malnutrition. According to a 2014 report from the AARP Foundation, nearly 9 million older people in the US can’t afford nutritious food. About 25% of low-income adults 65 and older say they’ve reduced the size of their meals or have skipped meals because they didn’t have enough money. And yet, many eligible seniors don’t receive food assistance. The AARP report found that only 13% of elders eligible for SNAP receive it.
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