Meal provision organizations, whether they provide meals within the home or in congregate centers, provide an excellent opportunity to address malnutrition by providing nutrition care and meals to those who are most vulnerable. Data has shown that nutrition care within the home by a dietitian can increase energy, protein intake, and body weight. The goal of this study is to test a new model for continuity of nutrition care for malnutrition treatment across settings and determine if it improves food security and quality of life in patients 60 years and older. The study will specifically recruit sites and a sample that represents individuals who have malnutrition, have experienced or are at risk for food insecurity, and those from rural areas as well as Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American populations with a goal sample size of 1,120 patients over the five-year duration. The objectives of this study are to: 1) test the feasibility of a patient identification, cross-referral, data reporting, and communication process from an acute care hospital to a community meal provision organization; 2) identify barriers to and facilitators for implementation as well as costs of the new model of continuity of nutrition care across settings; and 3) improve food security, determinants of malnutrition, and quality of life in persons older than 60 years of age discharged from the hospital with a diagnosis of malnutrition. Level 1 evidence will be generated from the study. The outcomes to be measured are program sustainability, percent change in referrals, food insecurity, malnutrition risk and diagnosis, and quality of life. The results of this study can provide a new model for nutrition care that may improve food security, quality of life, and health outcomes.
Age range
60 Years
Sex
ALL
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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Quality of Life Scale (CASP-19)
Timeframe: 3 months