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1993.11.16 :  Contract Award -- Nutrition Programs for the Elderly

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration on Aging
Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1993 
Contact:  Moya Benoit Thompson
(202) 401-4541

Fernando M. Torres-Gil, assistant secretary for aging in the
Department of Health and Human Services, announced today that a
$2.4 million contract has been awarded to Mathematica Policy
Research, Inc. of Princeton, N.J., to evaluate the Administration
on Aging's Nutrition Program for the Elderly.

"Elderly malnutrition is a problem of increasing national
proportion.  Recent studies have shown that one of every four older
Americans suffer from poor nutrition," said Torres-Gil.  "These
startling statistics have prompted us to develop an initiative that
will address this critical area, and we have made this a top
priority for the next several years.

"The results of this important evaluation will assist the
Administration on Aging in determining how effective our nutrition
program has been, what changes need to be made to make services to
our consumers more efficient, and what policy changes should be
considered to meet the contemporary and evolving nutritional needs
of our nation's senior population."

In carrying out the two-year study of the nutrition program,
Mathematica will: delineate key characteristics of the program
participants; scrutinize the impact of the program's nutritional
components; determine the efficiency and effectiveness of the
program's administrative and service delivery elements; and
describe and assess the evolution, sources and adequacy of the
program's funding.  The director and co-principal investigator for
the study is Dr. Michael Ponza.  Also serving as co-investigators
are Dr. Barbara Posner and Dr. James Ohls.

The Nutrition Program for the Elderly, initiated by the
Administration on Aging in 1968 through a number of demonstration
projects, is designed to alleviate some of the problems experienced
by the elderly by addressing dietary inadequacy and social
isolation.  In 1972, Congress enacted the National Nutrition
Program for the Elderly as a new title in the Older Americans Act. 
For FY 1994, Congress recognized the importance of these critical
services, and has increased funding for congregate meals from
$363,235,000 to $375,809,000 and for home delivered meals from
$89,659,000 to $93,665,000.

In FY 1992, over 134 million congregate meals were served to 2.5
million older people and their spouses at congregate settings; and
over 105 million home-delivered meals were provided to over 820,000
homebound elderly.

"As our day of national Thanksgiving nears, and we prepare to join
our loved ones to recall our many blessings throughout the year, it
is critical that we keep in mind the millions of seniors whose
lives and well being often depend upon these critical nutritional
programs," Torres-Gil said.