Inspiring Community Health: Challenges and Solutions

Hospital readmissions affect one in six Medicare patients released following medical care and one in eight patients following surgery. It is estimated that these readmissions cost more than 17 billion US dollars. The leading causes of hospital readmission for people include the incapability to prepare their own meals after discharge, lack of transportation, living in a food “desert” and the inability to afford healthy options. They often eat food with low nutritional value, such as fast food, because it’s easy and cheap or just don’t eat at all. If they had better nutrition post-treatment, they could continue their healing journey, regain their strength, recover better and avoid return trips to the hospital.

Post-discharge meals ensure patients continue to receive proper nutrition once they leave the hospital. This is especially key for patients suffering from a chronic condition, which puts them at risk for malnutrition. Patients with chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease may require a diet low in sugar, fat, sodium or cholesterol. Post-discharge meals are equally important to individuals who simply cannot prepare meals for themselves or whose caretakers don’t know how to fulfill their nutritional needs, as well as those who are food insecure.

• Participants who received access to food after being released from the hospital experienced lower emergency department (ED) visits, inpatient admissions and uses of emergency transportation. — Health Affairs
• Malnourished patients are over two times more likely than well-nourished patients to be readmitted to the hospital. — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• In a pilot study, post-discharge meals were shown to reduce hospital readmissions by 39%. — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Delivering Healthy Meals to People in Need

To help reduce readmissions that strain healthcare systems’ budgets, hospitals can support programs that focus on post-discharge nutrition. For example, innovative food delivery services are designed specifically to get high-quality, nutritious food to people while they are recovering from medical care. Options include, meals that are designed by dietitians and professional chefs, tailored to specific health conditions or a produce box that is delivered every week with meal recipe cards included.

At Aramark, we recognize that the strength of our communities has a direct impact on our business and partners, and we’re deeply invested in the neighborhoods where we operate. To date, our programs have had a positive impact on more than 5 million children and families in communities around the world.

Aramark Building Community Program

Aramark Building Community is our global volunteer program that inspires individuals, families and communities to lead healthier lifestyles, succeed in the workforce and build vibrant communities. The goals of the program include:

• Empower Workforce Success: Skill development and training to achieve economic independence
• Inspire Healthy Lives: Increase access to healthy food and nutrition education
• Build Vibrant Communities: Empower strong communities by building better environments

Educating Communities

Learning how to access, choose and prepare healthy food is critical for developing healthy habits. Many moms, dads and caregivers face challenges that prevent them from building basic food and nutrition literacy. They may not have essential cooking skills or the confidence to prepare healthy home-cooked meals for themselves or their families. Healthcare organizations can partner with community organizations to help fill this gap.