Food Insecurity - Age 60+ in District of Columbia

District of Columbia

Food insecurity is an economic and social condition involving limited or uncertain regular access to food. It differs from hunger in that hunger is a physiological feeling. Food-insecure older adults have significantly reduced intakes of vital nutrients and a higher prevalence of health problems such as heart attack, congestive heart failure, asthma and depression. 

Many older adults who live at home report eating less or skipping meals entirely due to challenges obtaining or preparing food. Barriers to access include affordability and lack of reliable transportation, which may be complicated by older adults’ specific dietary needs. Even with food items available or in the house, more than half of older adults in the United States report difficulty cooking and eating meals due to functional impairments, disability, depression or general unwellness. 

Older adults with chronic conditions who experience food insecurity have higher health care costs compared with those who have the same conditions but are not food insecure. A 2019 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that adults experiencing food insecurity spent an average of $1,834 more on annual health expenditures than food-secure adults.

According to a 2024 report from Feeding America, the prevalence of food insecurity is higher among: 

• Older adults living near or below the poverty level compared with those living above the poverty level. 
• Black and Hispanic older adults, who have a prevalence more than twice that of white older adults.
• Older adults with a disability compared with those who do not have a disability. 
• Older adults who rent. Renters age 60 and older are more than three times as likely to be food insecure as homeowners of the same age. 

Additional research found that food insecurity was also higher among: 

• Older adults with a high school diploma or less than a high school education compared with college graduates.
• Older adults living alone compared with those who are married.

Many multidisciplinary programs are working to reduce food insecurity among older adults:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture services such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) help low-income individuals access food. Older adults or their loved ones can use the National Council on Aging’s BenefitsCheckUp tool to see if they are eligible for SNAP or other assistance programs and apply. AARP can help older adults apply for SNAP and maximize their benefits. Feeding America also offers assistance with SNAP applications and multiple on-the-ground food programs. 
• The Older Americans Act Nutrition Program and Meals on Wheels deliver meals directly to older adults in their homes and to community living spaces nationwide.
• Food pharmacies, which are similar to food banks or pantries but work with medical providers to meet their patients’ specific dietary health needs, are gaining traction. Multiple clinics have now incorporated food pantries for patients needing food assistance. 
• The National Foundation to End Senior Hunger helps state and local agencies optimize resources and improve access to nutritious food for older adults at risk of hunger.
• The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends home-delivered and congregate meal services for older adults living independently based on their systematic review of the evidence, which found that these programs reduce malnutrition in older adults.

Reducing overall household food insecurity is a Healthy People 2030 leading health indicator.

Berkowitz, Seth A., Sanjay Basu, Craig Gundersen, and Hilary K. Seligman. “State-Level and County-Level Estimates of Health Care Costs Associated with Food Insecurity.” Preventing Chronic Disease 16 (July 11, 2019): 180549. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd16.180549.

Garcia, Sandra P., Anne Haddix, and Kevin Barnett. “Incremental Health Care Costs Associated With Food Insecurity and Chronic Conditions Among Older Adults.” Preventing Chronic Disease 15 (August 30, 2018): 180058. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd15.180058.

Hake, Monica, and Sena Dawes. “Food Insecurity Among Seniors and Older Adults in 2022.” Feeding America, July 2024. https://www.feedingamerica.org/sites/default/files/2024-07/Food%20Insecurity%20Among%20Seniors%20and%20Older%20Adults%20in%202022.pdf.

Lee, Jung Sun, and Edward A. Frongillo Jr. “Nutritional and Health Consequences Are Associated with Food Insecurity among U.S. Elderly Persons.” The Journal of Nutrition 131, no. 5 (May 1, 2001): 1503–9. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/131.5.1503.

“Spotlight on Senior Health: Adverse Health Outcomes of Food Insecure Older Americans.” Executive Summary. Feeding America, 2014. https://www.feedingamerica.org/sites/default/files/research/senior-hunger-research/or-spotlight-on-senior-health-executive-summary.pdf.

Wolfe, Wendy S., Edward A. Frongillo, and Pascale Valois. “Understanding the Experience of Food Insecurity by Elders Suggests Ways to Improve Its Measurement.” The Journal of Nutrition 133, no. 9 (September 1, 2003): 2762–69. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/133.9.2762.