The Eat Well, Age Well project has received £1.2 million from the Big Lottery Fund
Groups from across Scotland are set to work together to target malnutrition amongst older people.
A new initiative aiming to tackle the growing issue has received £1.2 million of National Lottery funding from the Big Lottery Fund.
Led by Food Train, the Eat Well, Age Well project, will bring together voluntary groups, local and national government, private sector and health professionals to work together nationally to address malnutrition, which affects 1 in 10 older people across Scotland.
Food Train’s army of volunteers make hundreds of vital food deliveries to older people each week in seven local authority areas in Scotland.
Chief executive Michelle Carruthers MBE said: “This funding award is the culmination of many dedicated people coming together, listening and learning from older people about their food needs.
“Through the Eat Well, Age Well project, we will work towards a sustainable approach to reduce malnutrition among older people living at home and create a long lasting and engaged network across the country committed to this issue.”
In developing the proposal, Food Train heard stories from their older members, who talked fondly of the meals and foods they used to love and share, but how age, frailty and an increasingly inaccessible care system affected their ability to eat as they wished.
The Eat Well, Age Well project will test new ways of helping older people eat well across Scotland, while sharing the learning across the UK working alongside the London based Malnutrition Task Force
Recognising the need for a coordinated approach to food and older people, the Scottish Government and Food Train, co-hosted a national Malnutrition Summit in 2015.
Aileen Campbell MSP, minister for public health, said: “No matter where you are from, everyone has an interest in food. It is important for health, and also plays a big part in social occasions, bringing people together for meals.
“The Scottish Government will consult on a new diet and obesity strategy in the autumn. We will be considering how we can support everyone to access enough food, access the right food, and support everyone to make healthy choices at every step.”
