INNOVATIONS IN 

NUTRITION PROGRAMS 

AND SERVICES 

APRIL 14, 2020 
WELCOME AND 

INTRODUCTIONS 
MISSOURI NUTRITION INNOVATIONS 

April 2020 

@NRCNA_engAging
 

INNOVATION STORY 

• Aging Ahead, Choice Counts: Improve service, delivery, 

and cost-effectiveness of congregate nutrition 

programming for older people at high risk of malnutrition. 

• Mid-America Regional Council (MARC): Use Amazon Echo, 

through Show Me Pantry, to connect clients to extant 

community resources, improve delivery, and costeffectiveness of in-home nutrition for older people at high 

risk of malnutrition. 

@NRCNA_engAging
PROJECT DESCRIPTION 

• Choice Counts used data card technology 

to improve service delivery and costeffectiveness of congregate nutrition 

programming 

• MARC used voice technology 

to improve service, delivery, 

and cost-effectiveness of inhome nutrition 

@NRCNA_engAging 5 
KEY LEARNING(S) 

Choice Counts 

• Strong demand for alternative congregate nutrition models 

exists 

• Having a solid, workable technology tailored to program 

needs is essential 

MARC 

• Supplemental nutrition and choice remains essential to 

home-delivered meals participants 

• Technology savviness is polarized – voice tech still 

emerging 

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KEY DATA POINTS 

MARC Choice Counts 

@NRCNA_engAging

Before

Before

Before

Before

Before

Before

Before

Before

Before

Before
KEY CHALLENGES OVERCOME 

• Technology availability and customization 

• Staff and client openness to technology 

• High-speed internet access is poor 

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PROJECT IMPACT 

• Staff gained transferable skills – solving one 

problem leads = more problems solved! 

• Client choice and preference has become core 

• Driving selection of new technologies 

• Brand new partners and models 

@NRCNA_engAging

9 
SUGGESTIONS FOR REPLICATION 

• Use simple technology 

• Test expertise of partners and ready a plan B 

• Assign a competent, dedicated team 

• Listen to your clients – human service principles 

should drive technology applications 

@NRCNA_engAging
ADVICE TO PEERS 

• Technology is best as a supplement to change, 

rather than a primary driver 

• Acknowledge and prepare for a spectrum of 

interest and impact 

• Absorb learnings to propel further innovation 

@NRCNA_engAging
THANK YOU 

JAMES D. STOWE, PHD 

DIRECTOR, AGING & ADULT SERVICES 

LEAD, MANAGED SERVICES NETWORK 

MID-AMERICA REGIONAL COUNCIL 

JSTOWE@MARC.ORG 
BRIDGING HIGH QUALITY MALNUTRITION 

SCREENING, ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION FROM 

HOSPITAL TO HOME 

OR

BRIDGING MALNUTRITION TRANSITIONS OF CARE

April 14, 2020 

@NRCNA_engAging
INNOVATION: BRIDGING 

Bridging 

• The act of connecting 

• Communication from one setting to another 

• Malnutrition education (unidirectional) 

• Malnutrition screening, assessment and 

intervention (bi-directional) 

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INNOVATION: NUTRITION ASSESSMENT & INTERVENTION 

• Various screening 

• Assessments rarely performed 

• Appropriate interventions require assessment 

• Community clinical process 

• Need for continuum of care 

– Transitions of care 

– Team-based approach 

• Intervention RDN team-based 

• Nutrition-focused physical exam 

@NRCNA_engAging 15 
PROJECT DESCRIPTION 

Impact of RDN Malnutrition Assessment /Intervention 

on Hospital Re-admissions 

Single-Blinded Study Design 

Referrals to Project RDNs 

Comprehensive 

Malnutrition Assessment 

and Care Plan 

• 2 hospital/clinic-based 

partners 

• 4 AAAs 

• Various screenings 

• HDM eligible 

• Recent hospital discharge 

• Bio/psycho/social data 

• Nutrition-focused physical 

exam 

• Intervention for 6 months 

• Home visit and telephone 

contact 

@NRCNA_engAging
 

 

 

DATA: PRELIMINARY RESULTS 

• Project on going.... 2019 ACL grant award

• Major characteristics of the Avg. MOW participant: 

• 75 yrs. • About half have pets 

• Female • Report anxiety: 60% 

• Lives in a home alone • Report depression: 58% 

• Divorced • Able to heat and serve pre-

• inadequate finances made meals 

• 44% use other services (ie. • Able to eat independently 

food stamps, HEAT, lifeline, • Can feed, dress, and groom 

food pantry/bank, themselves, but requires 

subsidized housing, tax assistance ambulating 

abatements) • Have had UWL in the past 6 

• U.S. citizen or resident months 

• not a vet or spouse of a vet 

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KEY CHALLENGES: MALNUTRITION TRANSITIONS OF CARE BRIDGING 

• 1st steps in building a malnutrition transitions of care 

bridge 

• Who are the players? 

– Who can take leadership role(s)? 

– Who recognizes the importance? 

– Who has time/effort/financial support? 

– Who can mainstream the process? 

– Who has the motivation?!? 

@NRCNA_engAging
KEY CHALLENGES: CHANGE 

• Crisis is an opportunity to change ($, staffing, policy) 

• Disruption creates room for new ideas 

• Innovators are disrupters 

• Ability to reflect and analyze change 

• Vision should be simple and easy to put into place 

• Rethinking collaboration intra- and inter-agency 

• Re-evaluate steps for implementation 

• A new habit can be triggered by a goal 

• Overtime goal becomes less necessary 

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PROJECT IMPACT: COORDINATION OF SERVICES 

• Client impact: 

• Improved understanding of the importance of nutrition 

• Care plan development with specific recommendations 

– Improved their ability to implement recommendations 

• Organization/community impact: 

• Full recognition of multiple health and healthcare 

players 

• Improved knowledge of nutrition therapy process 

• Understanding RDNs role 

• Nutrition intervention evaluation in each setting 

@NRCNA_engAging 2 

0 
 

SUGGESTIONS FOR REPLICATION 

• Think outside the current box 

• Look for partners across the continuum of care 

• Offer RDN services 

• Track outcomes of RDN/malnutrition interventions 

• Pursue funding from internal and external sources 

@NRCNA_engAging
 

 

ADVICE TO PEERS 

• Fully explore the interest and dedication of potential 

partners 

• Have a clear idea of what can be brought to the table 

• Do not assume everyone has a clear understanding of 

malnutrition assessment and intervention 

• Communicate early and often 

• Partners need to have a clear vision 

• “Learning our way forward”

• Get excited about innovations! 

@NRCNA_engAging
THANK YOU 

SUSAN SAFFEL-SHRIER MS, RDN, CD 

CERT. GERONTOLOGIST 

PROFESSOR (CLINICAL) 

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH SCHOOL OF 

MEDICINE 

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84108 

SUSAN.SAFFEL-SHRIER@HSC.UTAH.EDU 

801-560-7875 
ANDREA CIANFRANI 

LIVEON NY 

PROJECT UPDATE 

@NRCNA_engAging
ROUND ROBIN 

25 
 

ROUND ROBIN QUESTIONS 

• Describe how your project was in fact ‘ innovative’?

• How will your innovation project(s) be sustained? 

• What new partner(s) did your organization engage/does 

your organization plan to engage with going forward to 

grow or sustain the new nutrition programs/services 

you have established? 

• Discuss any COVID-19 changes to how your innovation 

project is being currently implemented. 

@NRCNA_engAging 26 
2017 

ACL INNOVATIONS IN 

NUTRITION 

PROGRAMS AND 

SERVICES HUB 

27 
RESOURCE HUB OVERVIEW 

Website: https://nutritionandaging.org/innovation-services-hub/ 

@NRCNA_engAging

Innovation

In 2017, the 

Administration for 

Community Living 

awarded six grantees 

funding for innovative 

projects that will 

enhance the quality, 

effectiveness, and 

outcomes of nutrition 

services programs 

provided by the 

national aging services 

network. The six 

grants totaled 

$742,872 for the twoyear project period. 

Through this grant 

program, innovative 

and promising 

practices that can be 

scaled across the 

country have been 

identified with a goal 

to 

increase use of 

evidence-informed 

practices within the 

nutrition programs.

The innovations in 

Nutrition Programs 

and Services Resource 

Hub contains 

documents for senior 

nutrition programs to 

understand and 

replicate the 

nventive programs 

and services piloted by 

he 2017 ACL grantees.
RESOURCE HUB OVERVIEW 

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UPCOMING TRAINING 

Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services 

– Part 2 

• Hosts: NRCNA 

• When: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 

• Speakers: 

• Susan Hayes (Health Promotion Council), 

• Tim Getty (Heritage Agency on Aging), and 

• Judy Simon (Maryland Department on 

Aging) 

• To Register: Visit Us Online @ 

www.nutritionandaging.org/training 

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• Title Text

THANK YOU 

PLEASE COMPLETE THE 

EVALUATION 

– Body Level Five