Addressing senior hunger through the Health Impact of Senior Hunger in Georgia

The information here provides healthcare providers, dietitians, pharmacists, dentists and caregivers with background information, key resources and ways to help seniors in the cross-section of health and hunger. Regardless of the role you play in helping older adults in your line of work or service, you will gain knowledge about how hunger and health connect, the severity of food insecurity and some recommended solutions. Ultimately, you will learn how you can help the seniors you serve and where to refer seniors to resources and services right where they live.

Key Statistics on the Health Impact of Senior Hunger in Georgia

Your first stop in understanding the health impact of senior hunger in Georgia is looking at the statistics we shared in Key Statistics of Senior Hunger. There you had the opportunity to see some key state level demographics of older Georgians.

Services and resources available in Georgia to address the Health Impact of Senior Hunger

  • The Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) provides information and referrals on local food banks and other benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, utility assistance and utility discount programs, like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which put money back in seniors' pockets to help buy food.
  • Georgia Health Matters: Many food insecure older Georgians have poor chronic disease management. A critical program offered across the state is the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program. If you would like to see what courses may be available for an older adult you know, visit GeorgiaHealthMatters.org.

 

Sources:

1) Alana Rhone, Michele Ver Ploeg, Ryan Williams, and Vince Breneman. Understanding Low-Income and Low-Access Census Tracts Across the Nation: Subnational and Subpopulation Estimates of Access to Healthy Food, EIB-209, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, May 2019