Quick Tips: OAA Nutrition Service Reporting

Quick Tips are informal documents about the Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III-C 

Senior Nutrition Program (SNP). These tip sheets aim to highlight flexibilities of the 

federal OAA statute and address common misunderstandings about the OAA. Below 

each point are links to reference materials and inspiration from successful program 

projects.i

State Program Report (SPR) Appendix A: Data Element Definitions — Definitions 

for SPR consumer characteristic and service unit data elements.

Annually, state units on aging (SUAs) must report specific data for the SPR. 

SUAs decide the method and frequency of reporting by area agencies on 

aging (AAAs) and local service providers. Additional data may be collected by the 

SUA, AAA, and the local service provider to demonstrate outcomes and solicit local 

funding sources to expand nutrition services.

Title III State Program Report: COVID-19 Reporting Guidance — SPR guidance.

Senior nutrition programs can provide liquid oral nutrition supplements for 

participants. However, a liquid oral nutrition supplement by itself cannot be 

counted as a meal and instead is counted as an “other service.” It can be offered in 

addition to the meal, based on client needs and available resources.

Nutrition Requirements of the Older Americans Act — Basics for Title III-C.
Offering groceries, which include meal boxes, may be an appropriate “other 

service,” but groceries may not be counted as a meal. Groceries may be 

helpful in the following situations: 

• A participant who is food insecure. 

Food vs. Meals — Assess whether an older adult needs assistance obtaining food or 

meals.

Using Groceries and Other Nutrition Service to Meet Seniors Need — A discussion of 

“other” nutrition services.

Guam Thinks Out of the Box, Delivers Bags of Produce to Older Adults — Guam’s 

innovative partnership to deliver fresh produce.

Nutrition counseling can be offered to participants who are at nutritional risk. 

Counseling is provided one-on-one by a registered dietitian and the service 

units are reported in hours (partial hours may be reported). 

Nutrition Counseling and the Aging Network — Guide to nutrition counseling for 

AAAs and local service providers working with OAA Title III programs.

Registered Dietitian vs. Nutritionist — All dietitians are nutritionists, but not all 

nutritionists are registered dietitians. Learn the difference.

Nutrition counseling is the only Title III-C service eligible for cost sharing. 

Medical Nutrition Therapy Works for Seniors — Resource guide for registered 

dietitians and senior nutrition program administrators.

Making the Case for Nutrition Therapy — Presentation on a nutrition counseling 

toolkit. 

Nutrition Counseling for the RD — Guide to nutrition counseling for registered 

dietitians working with OAA Title III programs.

• A participant who can prepare their own meals.

• Eligible persons with severe dietary restrictions for which OAA meals are 

not appropriate.

• Emergency situations.
Nutrition education can be delivered in-person, via video, audio, online, or 

through the distribution of hard-copy materials. Nutrition education must be 

overseen by a registered dietitian or an individual with comparable expertise.ii

Nutrition Education — NARC webpage containing a variety of resources, including 

some in other languages, that have been reviewed by registered dietitians and are 

approved by ACL for use within OAA Title III-C nutrition education.

Additional Quick Tip Sheets 

• Congregate Meals

• Home-delivered Meals

• NSIP

• OAA Basics

• Funding Options

• SNP Nutrition Guidelines

Find more resources at the Nutrition and Aging Resource Center.

i In many areas the OAA gives SUAs the authority to add other requirements beyond those 

that are included in the OAA. So certain practices, which might be allowable under the OAA 

and perhaps included in this document, might be handled differently in some states or local 

areas. These documents only reflect information about the OAA nutrition program from a 

federal perspective; state and local variances are NOT covered. 

ii Comparable expertise includes individuals who have the academic training, knowledge and 

expertise of a registered dietitian, including expertise in nutrition science, especially nutrition 

and older adults; clinical nutrition; nutrition education, counseling and assessment; food 

service operations, including knowledge of food safety and sanitation; health promotion and 

disease prevention programs; and program administration aspects, such as policy, 

regulation, guidance, quality assurance, technical assistance, data collection and reporting, 

monitoring, and performance management.