Continuance of elderly on home-delivered meals programs

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Home-delivered meal programs are crucial for elderly individuals' nutritional support.
• Understanding client retention is vital for program sustainability and effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze factors influencing client discontinuance from a home-delivered meal program.
• To identify predictors of program dropout among elderly recipients.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of baseline and six-month follow-up survey data from 2,002 elderly clients.
• Utilized survival analysis to estimate program discontinuance rates and associated factors.

Main Results:

• 37.4% of clients left the program within six months.
• Higher dropout rates observed among White clients compared to minorities.
• Recent hospital discharge, cancer diagnosis, and non-hip fractures were significant predictors of leaving.

Conclusions:

• Program discontinuance is influenced by demographic and health-related factors.
• Clients recently discharged or with specific health conditions may regain self-sufficiency, leading to program exit.
• Findings inform strategies for targeted support and program improvement in elderly meal services.