Ranked 6th Nationally for Senior Hunger Kentucky Seniors are at Risk
Food insecurity and health problems face Louisville Seniors
Food insecurity can result in various health problems for older adults, including depression, diabetes and heart problems.
Recent reports show that hunger among older Kentuckians is an ongoing problem. According to the Kentucky
Association of Foodbanks, nearly 1 in 10 adults age 60 and older was food insecure in Kentucky in 2016. While there has been some progress combating hunger, the report notes food insecurity rates for seniors is now higher than before the Great Recession."Our concern is both the numbers that we see today but also, as we look forward into the not-so-distant future, the number of seniors are going to increase and we also believe that the number of seniors in need is going to greatly increase," says Stan Siegwald, director of strategic initiatives with Dare to Care Food Bank in Louisville.
Nationally, the food insecurity rate for seniors is nearly 8% with almost 5 million struggling with hunger. Kentucky has the sixth highest rate among states. Accessing healthy food can be a challenge for seniors on a tight budget, but the elderly also face restrictive factors in their home environment and may be unable to cook, drive or walk far. Many seniors live in a community far from food and it is hard for them to reach a grocery store or food pantry.
BrightStar Care of Louisville believes there is more to providing our clients with healthy nutrition. Seniors suffer social isolation and we use food to help address the loneliness that seniors have and try to impact not only their health but also their quality of life during meal time.
Louisville needs solutions to address hunger among seniors. We believe that food-insecurity screenings should be considered at medical check-up and support should be given to organizations who provide meals to seniors who are unable to get out of their homes.
Learn more about how BrightStar Care supports seniors in Louisville - CLICK HERE