Assessing health status in the elderly: the nutrition screening initiative.

The recent dramatic growth in the population aged 65 and over is projected to continue well into the 21st century. While improved health status of most aging Americans is also expected, such is not the case in certain vulnerable subgroups at risk for poor health. This includes older women; minority groups; those aged 85 and above; older persons with limited economic resources, those isolated from family and friends; and older persons with impaired physical, cognitive, or emotional status. These factors, plus the cost implications of caring for a rapidly aging population, provided the impetus for the development of the Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI). Established in 1990, the goal of the NSI is to promote the incorporation of routine nutrition screening and nutritional care into America's health services delivery system. The NSI has devoted its activities toward increasing the awareness of nutritional factors as they relate to the older population.