Older Americans Act: Title III Nutrition Services Program

Kirsten J. Colello
Specialist in Health and Aging Policy

The elderly nutrition services program, authorized under Title III of the Older Americans Act, provides grants to state agencies on aging to support congregate and home-delivered meals for people aged 60 and older. The program is designed to address problems of food insecurity, promote socialization, and promote the health and well-being of older persons through nutrition and nutrition-related services. It is the largest Older Americans Act program, funded at $819.5 million in FY2010, accounting for over one-third (35%) of the Act's total funding. In FY2008, the most recent year for which data are available, over 240 million meals were served to about 2.6 million people; 61% were served to frail older people living at home, and 39% were served in congregate settings. The number of home-delivered meals served has outpaced congregate meals, growing by almost 44% from FY1990 to FY2008; the number of congregate meals served declined by 34%. The faster growth in home-delivered meals is partially due to relatively higher growth in federal funding for home-delivered meals over that time period, as well as state decisions to focus funds on frail older people living at home. Congress approved the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2006 (P.L. 109-365) extending the Act's authorization of appropriations through FY2011.


Date of Report: February 1, 2010
Number of Pages: 11
Order Number:RS21202
Price: $29.95

Document available electronically as a pdf file or in paper form.
To order, e-mail congress@pennyhill.com or call us at 301-253-0881.