Pre-recorded webinar from the American Society on Aging

Change the Outcomes-  Nutritional Intervention as a Must-Have in Treating Chronic Conditions

Healing At Home and Reducing Readmissions – The Critical Role for Nutrition

Founded in 1977, NANASP is recognized by policy makers and others as an effective advocate for their members and the older adults they serve.

NANASP is proud to be a leading organization advocating for community-based senior nutrition programs and their staff. With members from across the United States, we are able to impact local, state and national public policy to maintain and improve the health and well-being of all older persons.

NANASP is an active member of the aging network including Leadership Council of Aging Organizations and works collaboratively with key coalitions including Americans for Long-Term Care Security and the Elder Justice Coalition on broad issues of concern to the older adults.

NANASP was instrumental in the recent reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. NANASP coordinated efforts to assure that resolutions specifically related to nutrition were adopted at the 2005 White House Conference on Aging. These efforts included:

• convening a mini conference on nutrition preceding the main conference,
• having NANASP leadership named as delegates to the council and
• collaborating with partner organizations including the Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) and the American Dietetic Association to help elevate the importance of nutrition at the conference.

The Meals On Wheels Association of America is the oldest and largest national organization composed of and representing local, community-based Senior Nutrition Programs in all 50 U.S. states, as well as the U.S. Territories. These local programs are our MOWAA Members.

All told, there are some 5,000 local Senior Nutrition Programs in the United States. These programs provide well over one million meals to seniors who need them each day. Some programs serve meals at congregate locations like senior centers, some programs deliver meals directly to the homes of seniors whose mobility is limited, and many programs provide both services.

While remarkable, the one million meals per day figure underestimates the size and shape of our network and its reach and influence in communities across America. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of seniors who receive meals, there are many thousands of professionals employed at the various local Senior Nutrition Programs across the U.S. More notable than that is the virtual army of volunteers who also “work” for these programs. It is said that this group, numbering between 800,000 and 1.7 million individuals, is the largest volunteer army in the nation.