Abstract：
Congregate Nutrition Services have long been a pillar of public health assistance, championing the independence and community engagement of older Americans. The advent of COVID-19, however, restricted access to these services due to the closure of physical locations. In response, Lanakila Meals on Wheels initiated a virtual congregate meal program, Kūpuna U, in collaboration with community partners in Honolulu County. The program combined grab-and-go or home-delivered meals with virtual and in-person classes to improve both nutrition and socialization for older adults. This study aimed to capture participant feedback to assess and enhance the Kūpuna U program, developing it as a flexible and scalable congregate meal solution applicable nationwide. Five focus group discussions were conducted with program participants (n = 34). The majority of participants were female (74%), Asian (73%), and living alone (56%). Participants found the program beneficial, enhancing their nutrition, social engagement, and learning experiences on various topics tailored for older adults. Supportive staff played a crucial role in motivating participants to stay engaged. Participants also identified potential enhancements to the program, including more activities and courses, expanded hours, additional in-person options at various locations, and culturally tailored meals.
摘要：
聚集营养服务长期以来一直是公共卫生援助的支柱，支持美国老年人的独立和社区参与。然而，COVID-19的出现，由于物理位置的关闭，对这些服务的访问受到限制。作为回应,LanakilaMealsonWheels发起了一个虚拟的聚餐计划，库普纳·U，与檀香山县的社区合作伙伴合作。该计划将即食或家庭送餐与虚拟和面对面课程相结合，以改善老年人的营养和社交。这项研究旨在捕获参与者的反馈，以评估和增强KúpunaU计划，将其开发为适用于全国的灵活且可扩展的聚集餐解决方案。与计划参与者进行了五次焦点小组讨论（n=34）。大多数参与者是女性（74%）。亚洲（73%），独居（56%）。参与者发现该计划有益，增强他们的营养，社会参与,以及为老年人量身定制的各种主题的学习经验。支持人员在激励参与者保持参与方面发挥了至关重要的作用。参与者还确定了该计划的潜在增强功能，包括更多的活动和课程，扩展小时，不同地点的额外面对面选择，和文化定制的膳食。
