The Next Frontier

Malnutrition is a serious condition impacting the health, functionality, and quality of life of older adults living in the community. This article provides the history, context, and suggestions for better addressing it in the United States. It briefly reviews the prevalence of malnutrition associated with undernutrition in the American older adult population and why it is of concern. Malnutrition screening and assessment tools are then described. Next, it turns to how Older Americans Act (OAA) nutrition programs are addressing malnutrition today. Finally, practical steps are outlined to better identify and intervene to eliminate or at least ameliorate malnutrition among older adults. They include strengthened linkages between the OAA social service infrastructure already in place and the broader community healthcare and social services sectors.