THE CASE FOR MEALS ON WHEELS: AN EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTION TO SENIOR HUNGER AND ISOLATION
RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2023
This comprehensive review of 38 studies establishes Meals on Wheels as an evidence-supported, cost-effective solution.
The extensive body of research consistently demonstrates the efficacy of Meals on Wheels in reducing health care utilization, preventing nursing home admissions and generating substantial health care cost savings.
These remarkable outcomes are attributed to the profound impact of Meals on Wheels on critical aspects of older adults’ well-being, including food security, diet quality, nutritional status, social isolation, loneliness and falls/home safety - factors that significantly contribute to health care costs.
By fostering social connections, providing safety checks and delivering nutritious meals, Meals on Wheels supports older adults to maintain their health, independence and ability to age in their own homes and communities.
8 PRIMARY FINDINGS:
Estimated Impact Of Medically Tailored Meals On Health Care Use And Expenditures In 50 US States
Click HERE to read the latest study from
The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University (published April 2025)
This year’s Senior Report finds that America’s older adults made progress in measures of social connectedness
and access to clinical care but struggle with socioeconomic barriers. (published July 2024)
Read the full report here.
Click HERE to read the latest report from the Food Resource & Action Center! (published July 2024)
(look for Meals on Wheels - mentioned on page 12!)
Click HERE to read the 2023 Profile of Older Americans from the Administration on Aging (AoA). (published May 2024)