Primary Education Topic:
Health & Wellness
Other Education Topics:
Creativity and Lifelong Learning
Healthcare & Aging
Leadership in Aging
Policy and Advocacy
Distinct from hunger and food insecurity, malnutrition is a serious health threat to elders’ physical and mental health; it is prevalent in 20 percent to 50 percent of older patients admitted to hospitals, but is only diagnosed in 7 percent of patients.
Nearly one in two older Americans is at risk for malnutrition, at an estimated cost of $51.3 billion annually to treat diseases related to the condition. Elder advocates have taken an aggressive stance on eradicating this public health threat.