Articles and Information from GA Foods

Many homebound older adults do not receive adequate balanced meals, which are essential for managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and are vital for disease prevention. Unfortunately, proper nutrition and diet sometimes take a backseat to other steps in disease management. The body needs to receive the right balance of calories, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fats, and proteins from food to function well. Food as medicine is not a new concept, but a good diet should be taken seriously and be a top goal to help ensure a better quality of life.

Topics: Nutrition, Heart Disease, Sodium, Healthy Home Delivered Meals, Post Discharge

The risk of malnutrition often occurs even before hospital admission. More than one-third of patients are malnourished when they enter the hospital. It’s no surprise that malnutrition can negatively affect their clinical outcomes and increase costs.

Topics: Home Delivered Meals, Post Discharge, Medically-Tailored Meals

If you have a loved one in the hospital, you may not know how to prepare for their return home. After a hospital stay or surgery, it is essential to be in comfortable surroundings and to follow all discharge instructions to help in the recovery process.

Topics: Nutrition, Home Delivered Meals, Post Discharge, aging in place, Older Adults, Medicare Advantage

 

Father’s Day is a special time to celebrate so many of the important men in our lives, but with a pandemic still in full swing, things may look a little different this year. That’s why we’ve pulled together some ideas to, well, come together during these unique circumstances. From virtual tours to a celebratory dinner at home, the possibilities are still endless!

Topics: Home Delivered Meals, Malnutrition, Post Discharge, Older Adults

Hospitals and healthcare systems are addressing the Social Determinants of Health for their patients throughout the continuum of care. Studies show that social, economic, and environmental factors are contributing factors to patient health.

Topics: Home Delivered Meals, Medicare, Nutrition Care, Malnutrition, Post Discharge, Managing At-Risk Patients, aging in place, Social Determinants of Health

We know avoiding hospitalizations is a top priority for health plans. One way to keep your members out of the hospital, and to reduce the chance of readmission, is to prevent malnutrition. In fact, roughly one-third of patients who are not malnourished at admission will become so during their stay. Weight loss, being underweight, and failure-to-thrive/malnutrition have all been associated with readmission within 30 days of discharge.

Topics: Home Delivered Meals, Malnutrition, Post Discharge, Senior Nutrition

 

 

With a total annual cost of disease-associated malnutrition in the U.S. totaling more than $147 billion, it is perhaps perplexing and troubling that nutrition still remains poorly misunderstood by healthcare providers, administrators and payers alike. But mistaken or not, over the past few years, one thing is certain: Reducing hospital readmissions is at the forefront of healthcare organizations across the country.

Topics: Healthcare Cost Reduction, Post Discharge

At just under a staggering 70 percent, the state of California has the highest percentage of unsheltered homeless individuals in the country and is home to 29 percent of the entire nation’s homeless veterans, as well as 58 percent of the nation’s homeless youth.

As this problem continues to get worse, so does the need for assistance, which is exactly what legislators are trying to achieve with Senate Bill 1152. The law, which California Governor, Jerry Brown, signed on September 30th of 2018, amends the licensing provisions at Health & Safety Code section 1262.5 with new requirements that will roll out in two parts:

Topics: Post Discharge, Shelf-Stable Meals

More than 20 million Americans are now choosing a Medicare Advantage Plan instead of Original Medicare, and the numbers are predicted to continue to grow. In fact, Medicare Advantage enrollment has increased 50 percent of over the past five years. It’s estimated by 2028 that 42 percent of enrollees will select a Medicare Advantage plan.

Topics: Home Delivered Meals, Medicare, Post Discharge, Aging Well, Senior Health Plans

It’s Medicare  open enrollment time! From October 15 to December 7, adults age 65 and over need to select the type of Medicare plan they want for 2019.  Since there are more choices than ever, it's  important to review your options carefully before making a decision.

Topics: Home Delivered Meals, Senior Health, Medicare, Post Discharge, Senior Health Plans