Senior citizens and others who live on a fixed income often must choose between paying rent, buying medications or purchasing enough food.

• 28.7% of client households with seniors saif they’ve had to choose between food and medical care!

• 31% of client households with seniors have choosen between buying food and paying for utilities.

• Hunger is a realiry for the 9.7% of the elderly (3.6 million older Americans) that live below the poverty line.

Seniors require greater attention to proper nutrition in order to stay healthy. A study which examined the health and nutritional status of seniors found that food insecure seniors had significantly lower intakes of vital nutrients in their diets when compared to their food secure counterparts. In addition, food insecure seniors were 2.33 times more likely to report fair/poor health status and had higher nutritional risk

Additionally, protecting oneself from food insecurity can be more difficult for seniors than the general population. Some seniors may have the money or resources to purchase food but do not have access to transportation or the ability to prepare the food. Our Client Services Center in Over the Rhine and our agencies work to provide food and services to the elderly.