Short Term meal service for older adults in Mecklenburg County

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

Older Adults may sometimes become at risk nutritionally when they are discharged to home from a hospital or long-term care facility. This is due to physical limitations that seniors may have for a temporary period of time that prevents them from shopping and preparing their meals. Having access to nutritionally balanced meals at home is vital for quick and healthy recovery after discharge from a medical facility. There is currently a gap in service because the existing home delivered meal service does not meet the need of independent older adults who become temporarily homebound and need immediate meal service for a short period of time after being discharged. The current home-delivered meal service is geared towards older adults, 60 years of age and older, who are determined to be “homebound” due to physical or cognitive impairment, and need long-term delivered meal service. It can take anywhere from 10 to 30 days from the date service is requested to the date when a recipients’ services begin. In an effort to fill this gap and address the need for immediate meal service for a short period of time, Mecklenburg County Senior Citizens Nutrition Program (SCNP) added a new service for independent adults of age 60 or older who need short term meal service. Eligible individuals for the service are able to receive 5 to 7 meals per week for a period of up to 12 weeks. The new service not only fills the gap in existing home delivered meal service, but also helps the program reach out to many older adults in the community who can benefit from meal service.