West Health Contributors: Brenda Schmitthenner, MPA, Jessa K. Engelberg, PhD, Andrea M. Morris, PhD, MPH, Amy Herr MHS, Kai Oliver-Kurtin, Cheryl Hassoldt Malnutrition disproportionally affects seniors, with up to 1 out of every 2 at risk for malnutrition, and disease-associated malnutrition in seniors is estimated to cost $51.3 billion annually. Aligned with our mission to enable seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services, West Health is partnering with many of the brightest and most innovative leaders in the fields of aging, senior nutrition and healthcare to advance a strategy to provide comprehensive malnutrition care to seniors in their homes and communities where they live and manage their health. In February 2018, West Health hosted a Senior Malnutrition Visioning Session in Washington D.C., which included national leaders in healthcare, aging, senior nutrition, policy and research. Participants engaged in constructive dialogue and exchange of innovative ideas to advance comprehensive malnutrition care and prevention for seniors through practice innovations and community-based solutions. The output of the session was a multi-year roadmap to achieve Comprehensive Senior Malnutrition Care, and reduce the incidence of senior malnutrition to avert an ever-growing threat to successful aging. The roadmap outlines four primary target areas to actualize change. Call to Action You can act today to reduce and prevent senior malnutrition to improve the health and wellbeing of seniors! Here’s how:
West Health, a member of the Defeat Malnutrition Today Coalition, is using this year's Malnutrition Awareness Week, running from 24 through 28 September, to highlight what has been described as a "crisis" of senior malnutrition in the US. Figures revealed up to half the nation's elderly population are at risk from malnutrition, while disease-related malnutrition costs $51.3 billion annually. As part of its aim to ensure seniors are able to remain in their own homes and communities, West Health has partnered with innovators in the fields of aging, senior nutrition and health care to offer comprehensive malnutrition care. In February, West Health hosted a Senior Malnutrition Visioning Session in Washington D.C., attended by national leaders in health care, aging, senior nutrition, policy and research, resulting in the creation of the Comprehensive Senior Malnutrition Care roadmap. It set up four areas where action could be taken, beginning with identifying those seniors at risk of, or who are already malnourished, and raising awareness of the problem at a national level. The roadmap also calls on those working with or interacting with seniors to learn more about the underlying causes of malnutrition, both medical and social, and calls for the promotion of best practices which advance comprehensive senior malnutrition care, based on research and measured outcomes. Finally, the roadmap urges legislative and regulatory changes that will incentivize the reimbursement of malnutrition-related activities. West Health said action must be taken to prevent an even greater impact on US seniors and urged community-based organizations to examine senior patients for malnutrition and tackle the social issues contributing to its spread.