Page 13 - Today's Dietitian (March 2020)

Funding for Food is Medicine pro- medical providers. Most will require unintended 40-lb weight loss before
grams and services also varies. Many verification of the client’s illness, nutri- becoming an OAM client. Since receiv-
are supported by individual donations, tional status, and difficulty accessing ing meals, she has maintained her
foundations, grants, and health care and/or preparing healthful foods. Some weight and stopped progression of her
partnerships. programs, including OAM, also pro- malnutrition. Overall, 92% of OAM cli-
In addition to medically tailored meals, vide meals for their clients’ caregivers ents report that receiving meals from
many Food is Medicine organizations and dependents. And after clients have the organization helps them eat more
provide services to engage their clients received services for a certain length healthfully, and 91% report that the
and expand the impact of their mis- of time, the organizations usually will meals have made a difference in main-
sions. Some of the services include ongo- require them to undergo recertification taining their health.
ing nutrition classes, grocery deliveries, to update their clients’ diagnoses, medi- Several research studies have been
and group meals for seniors. For example, cal status, and nutritional needs. conducted to support the benefits
OAM offers monthly cooking classes and It’s important to keep in mind that of Food is Medicine organizations.
provides written nutrition information Food is Medicine organizations differ in One study conducted in partnership
in each client’s weekly meal delivery. The terms of the types of illnesses they serve, between MANNA, a Philadelphia-based
organization also owns and operates five the menus and services offered, and Food is Medicine organization, and
urban farms throughout the Twin Cities, their application process. If clients have a health insurance company in 2017,
where produce is grown using organic questions about their local Food is Medi- found improved health outcomes after
methods. The produce is then harvested cine organization, they should contact providing medically tailored meals and
and used for client meals and a commu- the organization directly to obtain accu- nutrition counseling to chronically ill
nity supported agriculture program. OAM rate information. members. A 26% reduction in inpatient
also gives clients ingredient labels for Dietitians should determine admissions and 7% reduction in emer-
every food item they receive plus nutrition whether they have Food is Medicine gency department visits was observed
facts information upon request. organizations in their area and keep among individuals with Medicaid and
Nutrition counseling is another the programs on a list of resources for Medicare coverage. Similar results
5
essential service Food is Medicine their clients who have cancer. In the were found in research led by a San
organizations offer. Most of their future, Food is Medicine organizations Francisco–area Food is Medicine orga-
on-staff dietitians are available to meet may become more widely available and nization, Project Open Hand, in 2014.
with clients by telephone or in person a routine component of health care for Home-delivered, medically tailored
to discuss nutrition goals that help cancer patients. meals lead to a 63% reduction in hospi-
them make the connection between talizations, 50% increase in medication
how the medically tailored meals they The Impact adherence, and 58% decrease in client
receive impact their health. The support Food is Medicine organizations have emergency department visits among
6
the RDs provide is intended to help the potential to improve the health patients with HIV and type 2 diabetes.
clients overcome barriers and learn to and quality of life of their clients. By Although the findings of Food is
make healthful choices on their own. providing home-delivered, nutrient- Medicine studies are promising, most
OAM currently has three full-time dense meals to cancer patients, of the methods used have been observa-
dietitians who work with clients. In organizations intend to help reduce tional. Thus, more research is needed to
2019, approximately 35% of clients who the risk of and prevent complications confirm the benefits of these programs.
received nutrition counseling from OAM from malnutrition. According to the There haven’t been any Food is Medicine
dietitians had a cancer diagnosis. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, a studies specifically conducted on cancer
reported 20% of cancer patients die from patients. At present, most of the benefits
Finding a Food is Medicine malnutrition rather than their primary of Food is Medicine programs for cancer
Organization cancer diagnosis. In 2019, approximately patients are anecdotal. Nevertheless,
4
People can find Food is Medicine 22% of new clients with cancer who these programs are a useful resource for
organizations in 22 different states were referred to OAM had a severe dietitians to refer their cancer patients
throughout the country. OAM, as malnutrition diagnosis. The healthful to, especially those who have difficulty
well as various other programs, have meals and nutrition education the accessing and/or preparing healthful
services available specific to cancer program provides aim to help improve meals on their own. n
patients. Many of the organizations health outcomes for these individuals.
have shipping programs that enable Many of these clients with cancer Brianna Tobritzhofer, MS, RD, LD, is the
them to deliver meals to clients who that OAM serves report health bene- senior manager of nutrition services for
live outside of their core delivery areas. fits after services begin. According to Open Arms of Minnesota. She also provides
Clients can visit www.fimcoalition.org/ OAM’s internal client survey, one indi- freelance writing services through her
partners for more information about vidual diagnosed with lymphoma and business, Bri Toby Nutrition Company.
Food is Medicine organizations. severe malnutrition in 2019 reported a
Before clients are approved to receive 12-lb weight gain after only two months For references, view this article on our
services, typically Food is Medicine of receiving meals from OAM. Another website at www.TodaysDietitian.com.
organizations will require referrals from individual with colon cancer had an
MARCH 2020 • WWW.TODAYSDIETITIAN.COM 13