PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- In Rhode Island and around the country, Meals on Wheels gets food to elderly people who cannot get it for themselves. The elderly, especially those on a constricted budget or unable to get to a store or a pantry, are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition.
A recent fundraising letter sent out by Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island included this statement making note of the problem: "In fact, half of all hospitalized seniors are suffering from malnutrition so severe that it either caused their illness or it prevents them from getting better."
A reader who received the letter wondered about that claim and forwarded it to us, asking: "Is this true? If yes, it is an appalling statistic."
Politifact Rhode Island examined the claim and ruled it Mostly False. Read the complete analysis here.