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"Outings to Your Taste": A Nutrition Program for the Elderly

^a Faculty of Nursing and Groupe de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Santé, Université de Montréal, Canada
^b Public Health Directorate, Régie de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal-Centre, Canada
^c Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Sherbrooke, Canada
^d Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada

Correspondence: Lucie Richard, PhD, Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal, P.O. Box 6128, Station Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada. E-mail: Lucie.Richard{at}Umontreal.ca.

Decision Editor: Nancy Morrow-Howell, ACSW, PhD

"Outings to Your Taste" is an innovative program that aims to improve the nutritional status and social network of elderly people who receive home-delivered meals. This article examines participation in one of the program's components, outings to community restaurants. Participation data were collected on-site and information about client characteristics was collected in at-home interview surveys of targeted clients (n 144). While about half of the clients had tried at least one outing, more than 25% of them participated in at least one third of the outings offered to them. Results indicate that the program attracted a variety of clients in terms of sociodemo-graphic, health, and social isolation characteristics.

Key Words: Nutrition • Social isolation • Health promotion • Community services