5 Benefits of Home-Delivered Meals for Older Adults
Home-delivered meals may seem like a small thing, but they can be invaluable for older adults living alone. Meals delivered to elderly adults’ doorsteps provide both nutrition and comfort to a vulnerable population. And they’re a cost-effective way to keep aging adults in their own home longer, research shows.
The benefits of meal services go beyond continuing to live in your own home as you age — programs such as home-delivered meals, which follows a “more than a meal” philosophy, can reduce loneliness and increase safety. The “more than a meal” ethos means that our staff not only greet meal recipients and get to know them, but pay attention to their well-being and the condition of their home and neighborhood.
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Meal delivery services reduce loneliness.
Older adults who received home-delivered meals, regardless of the type, are more likely to report improvements in loneliness.
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Meal recipients feel more confident about staying at home.
Meal delivery services ease the burden of shopping and meal preparation. Recipients say they feel safer at home knowing that meal delivery staff will be coming regularly.
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Meal delivery services lower the rate of falls.
Individuals who daily were greeting a delivery driver have reduced rates of falls. The risk of falling depends on a number of factors for older adults, including the safety of their home, taking medications correctly and nutrition. The “more than a meal” model can touch on any of these aspects of a client’s life, reducing their fall risk.
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Staying at home can save everyone money.
Home-delivered meals keep people who do not yet need expensive nursing home care at home longer, thereby reducing overall costs. Of all the social services for older adults, meal delivery services are the only one correlated with later nursing home entry.
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Meal delivery volunteers keep an eye on recipients.
Unanswered home deliveries are followed up on by our staff. If unable to reach the client, we attempt to follow up with next of kin.
Home delivered meals helps create a larger community of caring by monitoring the meal recipients well being.
Nutritionally balanced meals
Meals are approved by registered dietitian
Meals are prepared with no added salt
If inclement weather is anticipated, emergency meals will be delivered in advance if the normal delivery is prohibited
Upon delivery our staff will perform a visual assessment of the client’s condition
Contact Info:
Please call the facility at 641-522-9263 if interested in home delivered meals. You may also contact Shane Sissel at shane.sissel@bcecares.com or Shelby DeGeorge at shelby.degeorge@bcecares.com