INVITED REVIEW The Nutrition Screening Initiative: A 5-Year Perspective

ABSTRACT: A history of the goals, activities, and accom-plishments of the Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI) is provided. A commentary on the development and in-tended use of the NSI’s self-assessment and screening tools is given to facilitate selection of feeding devices for older Americans who need nutrition care. Additional questionnaires and interventions designed to address the needs identified through the NSI’s standardized, inter-disciplinary approach to the assessment of nutritional risk are described and their use encouraged. Legislative and public policy advocacy is summarized. A systemic approach to the assessment and maintenance of optimal nutritional health in the older population will have a profound effect on health care delivery systems. Incredible advances in science, technology, nutri