Developing and Piloting a Tool to Identify Food Insecurity in Older Adults

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Food insecurity (FI) negatively impacts chronic illness management.
• Older adults are particularly vulnerable to severe food insecurity.
• Hospital screening for FI is not routinely performed.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop and implement a tool to screen for food insecurity (FI) at hospital discharge.
• Identify elderly patients requiring community food resources.
• Address a gap in healthcare system's approach to food insecurity.

Main Methods:

• Patients aged 65+ nearing discharge from internal medicine services were screened.
• A Food Insecurity Tool (FIT) was used, assessing FI-associated patterns.
• All screened patients received a list of community food resources.

Main Results:

• 69 patients met study criteria; most exhibited some level of food insecurity (56% had ≥3 insecurities).
• FIT questions showed significant correlations with age, albumin levels, BMI, length of stay, and ZIP code-based income.
• The FIT proved easy to use, well-tolerated, and time-efficient.

Conclusions:

• The FIT effectively identifies vulnerable patients at hospital discharge.
• Connecting identified patients with community food resources is facilitated by the FIT.
• The tool is suitable for busy inpatient settings, improving patient care and resource allocation.