Hunger among Older Marylanders
Food insecurity and poverty are serious problems among seniors. Nearly one in five low-income seniors in our state struggles with hunger. Among all states, Maryland has the 8th highest food insecurity rate among low-income seniors.
Health and Hunger among Seniors
Enough food, and health-sustaining food, is important to everyone, but it is especially important when people are particularly vulnerable to disease, or when their life circumstances – such as limited mobility – make obtaining a healthy diet more difficult. Look at these statistics on health and hunger among seniors:
- Food insecure seniors are more than five times more likely to suffer from depression.
- Food-insecure seniors are 27 percent less likely to be in excellent or good health than their food secure counterparts.
- Food insecurity among elders increases disability, decreases resistance to infection, and extends hospital stays.
To make matters worse, hunger complicates health issues for seniors. Many medications need to be taken with food to assure their effectiveness. Too many seniors skip meals in order to purchase medication, only to see the “Take with food” label on the prescription bottle.
The Food Supplement Program and Seniors in Maryland
Maryland Hunger Solutions believes that a key part of the solution to ending senior hunger is to connect more eligible seniors to the Food Supplement Program (Food Stamps).
- In Maryland, the average allotment for seniors (aged 60+) is $113 – a benefit that can help them afford healthy food.
- Although an estimated 1 in 4 Maryland seniors may be eligible for FSP benefits, seniors participate at a far lower rate than other age groups.
- Nationally, only 1 in 3 eligible seniors receive FSP benefits.
Maryland Hunger Solutions is Taking Action
In February 2012, Maryland Hunger Solutions launched an outreach effort aimed at raising awareness of senior hunger. Maryland Hunger Solutions hosted outreach events, partnering with AARP to raise awareness of the program and helping more seniors apply for FSP benefits.
The month culminated with a senior outreach event – hosted by Maryland Hunger Solutions – at Holiday Park Senior Center in Wheaton, Maryland. This is Montgomery County’s largest senior center, serving more than 500 older Marylanders each day. Some successes of the event include:
- Reaching over 165 seniors with information about buying food on a budget and applying for FSP benefits.
- Pre-screening over 145 seniors for FSP eligibility.
- Helping 9 seniors with FSP applications and providing application assistance to 20 more.
- Distributing food donated by the Capital Area Food Bank to over 75 seniors in need of food assistance.
- Collecting over 400 pounds of food by Holiday Park Senior Center members to donate to Capital Area Food Bank.
Download our fact sheet (pdf) to learn more about senior hunger and how, together, we can end it.
Join the Fight with Us! Maryland Hunger Solutions Wants to Work with Your Organization
- Training: We train staff and volunteers on assisting others with an online Food Stamp application.
- Outreach materials: We offer free materials on Food Stamp eligibility, applications, and more.
- Education: We do one-on-one or group informational sessions about Food Stamp eligibility, application, recertification, and more.
- Direct outreach: We directly help Marylanders apply for food stamps.
For more information, contact Laura Flamm (lflamm@mdhungersolutions.org, 410-528-0021 ext. 23).
