Stand Down 95. Nutrition Intervention for Homeless Veterans

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME: The participant will be able to plan and implement a nutrition intervention/assessment for home-less veterans at a Stand Down event after attending this presentation.In September 1995, the first nutrition intervention was provided at The Houston Stand Down for Homeless Veterans. This was the second year for the event in Houston and gave dietitians and students an opportunity to assess and assist homeless veterans. Stand Down is a military term for time out from active duty for a rehabilitative stay. Stand Down for Homeless Veterans is a time for them to have a reprieve from the battle on the streets with limited rations and under extreme conditions of hunger, loneliness and fear. An encampment was set up with cots, showers, clean clothes, food, entertainment and community resource support. Social and medical intervention tents were provided. Nutrition assessments were conducted using the 24 hour recall, The Food Selection Scorecard and the DETERMINE Your Nutritional Health Scoring System on 79 homeless veterans. Donated foods including fresh fruit were given to each person assessed. Referrals for food, food stamps, bread pantries and soup kitchens were made in addition to other social and medical services of need. This is an important new community service area in which dietetic professionals should have a presence. The interdisciplinary health care teams, the collaborative planning and execution, the training and intervention was a microcosm of public health programming, and opportunity not to be missed. The planning and implementation process was highly successful and could be duplicated in other communities.