How does proper nutrition keep healthcare costs down?

Malnourishment is a double-edged sword because it can put people in the hospital and keep them there, too. In this Ask the Experts video, Ellie Hollander discusses how nutrition can prevent health problems and help them heal more quickly.

Transcript

00:00

ELLIE HOLLANDER: We know that probably 50% of the folks that are in hospitals today already suffer from malnourishment.

00:08

[MUSIC PLAYING]

00:19

Not only is it a precursor to ending up in the hospital, but being hungry and being malnourished also

00:27

impedes your ability to heal more quickly and to recover.

00:33

So it's on both ends. It's a wise preventative opportunity to provide nutritious meals to seniors at a certain age,

00:42

because of it'll keep them out of hospitals. And it's also a wonderful way to facilitate

00:49

someone recovering from having been in the hospital.

00:56

For what it costs to be in the hospital for one day, we can feed a senior Meals On Wheels for an entire year.

01:04

For what it costs to be in a nursing home for six days, we can provide Meals On Wheels for a senior for an entire year.

01:13

So it's an incredible return on investment, whether it's preventative or in response to a health emergency