The Cupertino Courier
News
File photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Malnutrition is an ongoing concern as the elderly population grows and fixed incomes stagnate. Seniors such as Angelina, shown here with Cupertino Meals on Wheels volunteer Frank Shallenberger, rely on Meals on Wheels for healthy, nutritious hot meals.
Hungry seniors are hidden away
By ANNE WARD ERNST
Malnourished senior citizens are sometimes overlooked because they are isolated and unseen. Some don't have cars or can no longer drive. Medical issues keep others homebound.
One may be the person living next door to you, but because they rarely get out of the house, they go unnoticed.
Keeping a body well fed with the proper caloric intake and nutrients gives the mind nourishment as well, said Renee Kellythorne, director of Meals on Wheels.
Feeding these low-income elderly is relatively inexpensive, too, she said.
"The cost of providing hot meals for one year is less than a quarter of the cost of one day in the hospital," Kellythorne said.
To bring attention to seniors and malnutrition, last month 10 mayors of cities within Santa Clara County, went to O'Connor Hospital where the meals are prepared, helped package the food and then delivered two meals.
"These are not the seniors you see at the senior center. These are not the seniors you see at the grocery store. These are not the seniors you see at city council meetings," said Olympia Williams, manager of Meals on Wheels.
Hundreds served
The Health Trust organization provides Meals on Wheels to more than 300 clients in Santa Clara County, delivering more than 83,000 meals each year. Its clients have Physical limitations and are low-income and housebound.
For some, the food delivered by Meals on Wheels is the only food they have.
"Some people will eat half for lunch and save the other half for dinner," Williams said.
There are myriad reasons seniors don't eat properly. Frailty or the inability to lift pots or pans restricts some from preparing fresh food. Taste buds change with age, and some medications can affect the way food tastes.
"Many times our clients will tell us they don't feel like eating," Kellythorne said.
Absentmindedness or dementia cause some to simply forget to eat.
"Some say they don't know where time goes. All of a sudden the day's over, and you don't know where the time went. Time is at a standstill for them," she said.
Some elderly are told to not use a stove or oven because they forget to turn off the appliances, so they no longer cook for themselves.
In Santa Clara County, one of the wealthiest and most expensive counties in the country, some senior citizens have to choose whether to pay for rent, medication, utilities or groceries. Often groceries come last. Moving out of the area isn't always easy, either, said Nancy Tivol, executive director of Sunnyvale Community Services.
"Moving is expensive. You've got to not only pay for the movers, but you have to come up with the deposit [for the new place], too," she said.
House-rich, cash-poor?
The problem isn't restricted only to renters, Williams said. Those who own their homes probably are on a fixed and limited income.
"They may be house-rich, but cash-poor," Williams said.
Retirement packages and health benefits don't always keep up with the cost of living.
A county study released this year found 20 percent (a 4 percent increase over 2004) of low-income adults ages 65 and older had food "insecurity"--a term that means they are not eating nutritiously, and that their income is insufficient to purchase food.
These numbers have risen and are expected to grow, thanks to an aging population.
"The oldest of the baby boomers will turn 60 this year. The youngest of the boomers will turn 60 in year 2024," Kellythorne said.
The number of seniors receiving groceries has tripled in the last three years.
Food services are out there, but Williams said they know they are not reaching everyone.
"It's not like homelessness that is in your face," she said.
Shut-ins are difficult to spot, but Williams said neighbors have the best chance of uncovering them.
"Get involved in your communities. People who advocate today are really advocating for themselves tomorrow," she said.
For more information on Meals on Wheels, go to www.healthtrust.org/programs/programs-mealsonwheels.cfm, or call 408.961.9870.
