Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Funding for Senior Nutrition Programs

Mississippi has been awarded 900,000 dollars through the Federal Recovery Act to support Mississippi senior’s nutrition programs. MPB’s Phoebe Judge reports on what those programs do.

Last year the state of Mississippi served over 3,000,000 meals to low-income Mississippi seniors. Those meals were either served at congregate sites or delivered through meals on wheels programs. And Robert More, who directs the area agency on aging for the southernmost 15 counties in the state, says the Recovery Act additional funding couldn’t have come at a better time,

“I know our local food banks are short on food because we get frequent calls. Several of our providers have quit adding people to their waiting lists because they know there’s no chance to be served. Definitely the need is up.”

Most of the time, the meal provided is the only well balanced one the seniors receive a day, says Janice Green Harrison County Human Resources Director of Senior Programs,

“If the nutrition end falls down, then they are unable to remain healthy. Even though they are on meds or whatever. The nutrition is something they must have to stay in the home.”

And the whole goal of these programs is to keep seniors in their homes for as long as possible, says Ricky Barry, deputy administer for programs for the Mississippi Department of Human Services,

“You know to keep them from going to nursing homes prematurely. To keep them living independently for as long as possible. Plus the cost of nursing homes to the taxpayer through Medicaid is astronomical.”

The additional funding may be able to help address the more than 3000 seniors the Department of Human Services has on waiting lists.