A Feeding America study shows the percentage of senior Kentuckians who are food insecure is higher than the national average.
Almost 10% of Kentuckians 60 or older didn’t have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of nutritious food in 2015.
Kentucky Association of Food Banks Director Tamara Sandberg says going without food can adversely affect senior health.
“We know that food insecure seniors are more likely to have depression than their colleagues that don’t suffer from food insecurity,” said Sandberg. “So, food insecure seniors are more likely to suffer from depression, asthma, congestive heart failure, chest pain, and high blood pressure.”
Sandberg says it can be difficult to convince seniors to accept food assistance. The food bank association director says the message to seniors is they are not alone.
