Meeting the Training Needs of Aging Network Nutrition Program Professionals: Past, Present, and Future.

Aging network nutrition professionals must continuously adapt knowledge and skills in order to maintain the provision of high quality, appropriate, and targeted services able to address the evolving demographic, home- and health care-needs of the older Americans of today and tomorrow. This evolution must be supported by ready access to contemporary training and technical assistance. Since the passage of the Older Americans Act in 1972, the Administration on Aging has provided a diverse and contemporary array of supportive program development modalities for aging network nutrition professionals, ranging from the establishment of nutrition training centers and institutes, to the formation of action learning collaboratives. A sustainable and broad funding base is needed to support the training needs of aging network professionals and assure their continued acquisition of the skills, knowledge, and business acumen needed to integrate food and nutrition services into home and community-based social, health, and long-term care systems.