Catherine Kennedy Short Term Home Delivered Meal Program

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

The goal of the New Hanover County Senior Resource Center’s (SRC) Catherine Kennedy Short Term Home Delivered Meal Program is to improve nutritional outcomes for individuals returning home after a recent hospitalization or rehabilitation admission, and connect participants with other needed resources to encourage their return to independence and reduce the likelihood of re-admission. Program participants, adults aged 60 and over, receive a home delivered lunch Monday through Friday for four to eight weeks, prepared at the SRC nutrition site by a local catering company. These meals provide clients with reliable access to better overall nutrition while recovering, with the goal of helping participants return to pre-injury or pre-illness status. Eligibility is based on an initial telephone screening assessment and a commitment to participate in nutritional counseling. Then, an assessment is completed in-person with a SRC social worker and nutritionist. Participant status and eligibility are reassessed after four weeks to ensure nutritional needs are being met and to determine whether extended participation in the program is appropriate. Both the nutritionist and social worker also connect participants and their caregivers to community resources throughout this process.