title: Designing and implementing ethnic congregate nutrition programs for older Americans.
abstract: Montgomery County in Maryland is one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the United States. Since the 1970s, traditional American and Kosher meals have been offered at congregate sites in this County, but few seniors of varied ethnicity participated. This article describes creative approaches used in the County Senior Nutrition Program within the Older Americans Act from 1990 to 2007 to develop nutrition sites targeted to seniors in Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese communities. The services provided are culturally sensitive, and the meals meet both nutritional and food safety standards. With secure funding, programs can be made available to other ethnic groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Human Services, Aging and Disability Services-Montgomery County, 401 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. marilyn.mower@montgomerycountymd.gov
authors.forename: Marilyn T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mower
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004045:Dietary Services / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000208:ethnology*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008396:Maryland; D015596:Nutrition Assessment