Meal delivery services for older people.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Can anyone recommend good and easy to use meal delivery services for elderly people please? I'm helping out friends, one of whom has been suddenly hospitalised.

The husband has never cooked a meal in his life and was quite baffled on how to even heat up the meals I've bought round for him. His fridge is empty and he is living on crap.

I thought that a meal delivery service might be a useful stop gap to help him out. Can anyone recommend one that has a really easy to use website and that offers nutritious food that isn't too fancy please.

[Mumof1andacat]

Wiltshire farm foods. Very good food.

[Mumof1andacat]

They will need heating up though in the microwave

[Lindy2]

Does your local council do a meals on wheels delivery service? I think it's our council that deliver individual hot meals to the elderly or disabled.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I can look into that Lindy. He's a bit reluctant to have the council get involved at the moment.

I looked at Wiltshire Farm Foods and it does look to be exactly the right sort of thing. They seem well set up.

[2919HereWeGo]

Cook deliver and are good.
Or stock up on M&S?
My DM doesn't like Wiltshire.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

With cook do you need to order the vegetables as separate sides?

M&S will be good once he is coping and can get out and about more. The food looks tastier.

[2919HereWeGo]

Some meals at Cook are just pop in oven. Some have separate sides.
Depending on appetite/age children's meals at M&S are good and tend to be "all in one".
We found easiest to learn was microwave.
And bags of salad/fruit easiest for adding healthier bits.

[2919HereWeGo]

M&S have good sell by dates and so single portion pierce bag microwave vegetables too.
And Waitrose are good too if they deliver.
Don't forget things like Pizza Express Pizza from supermarkets and baked potatoes and punnets of raspberries and bagsof apples etc. Unless there is a generation gap and such food not acceptable.

[NannyR]

We got the council meals for my uncle. In our area it's a separate company, nothing to do with the council - I think under certain circumstances you can get them subsidised by the council but anyone can call up and order them full price. They did frozen meals with very clear microwave instructions or they could deliver a hot lunch every day and a cold "tea pack". They were very similar quality to the Wiltshire meals.
The information was on the council website.

[Milkn0sugar]

I recently arranged for a grandparent to try Wiltshire Farm foods as he was eating frozen ready meals from a cheap supermarket and I was dubious about the quality of them. He said the difference in quality is hugely in favour of WFF. They deliver meals 3 times a week to his area and offer to put his meals in the freezer. They also call ahead to remind him that they are coming. He still gets a regular weekly Asda delivery for everything else - his lunches, snacks, cereals, bread, milk, cleaning products etc. It's c£5 a meal.

[startalovetrain]

Another vote here for Wiltshire Farm Foods. Decent portions, can all be put in the microwave and it even pleases my elderly mother who is very fussy with food!

They do the typical Stew and dumplings, chicken curry, pasta dishes, full breakfasts and all sorts. And can all be done over the phone. I'm always happy that my mum can eat something nutritious instead of chip sandwiches if she didn't get them delivered!

[longearedbat]

In our area meals on wheels has been privatised and are now called Appetito. They have a Web site.
Wiltshire Farm Foods deliver. Very easy to set up online, but if he can 'prick and ding' okay, all the major supermarkets have similar meals to Wiltshire Farm Foods. The one thing they do though, which supermarkets don't, are special dietary requirements.

[Apolloanddaphne]

We used the council meal service for my FIL. He had no other services and he just paid for the meals he ordered. He said the food was really good.

[citykat]

WFF has very clear labelling in big letters and also does a lot more "traditional English" food that some older people prefer. M&S does not have so many traditional ready meals. They also do a smaller plates selection. Obviously depends on your older person and their likes and capability.

[falgelednl]

Parsley Box meals are fabulous. My parents (in their 70s) use them when they go away in their caravan (on the days they choose not to eat out).
They are good sized portions, a wide menu, cheaper than the bigger/better known companies and don’t need to be kept frozen/refrigerated.
They certainly recommend them!

[MrsTommyBanks]

Another recommendation for Wiltshire farm foods.
My elderly friend used them regularly and the food and service are excellent imo.

[bellinisurge]

My fussy eating, proud and sceptical mum loved Wiltshire Farm Foods.

[mummyhaschangedhername]

My grandmother just calls a local "diner", they do a delivery service and she orders from there everyday (or more).

[Kez200]

Local cafes or pubs if close by

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Thank you, this is really helpful :) I'll talk over some of the ideas with him and see if there are any he would like to try.

[fatfluffycushion]

Wiltshire farm foods , no personal experience but friend used to order it in for his grandmother who liked it

Here in Sussex a meal delivery service called " mother Teresa " seems popular , I've eaten in their cafe and it's nice , you can see into the kitchens and it looks very clean and professional - if you are not local google and see if there is something similar near you

Try a local cafe or pub to plate up a midday or evening meal and deliver or collect - I know several people that do this with various local places with success

Get a local person in to prepare and put 3 or 4 plated meals into the fridge 2 or 3 times a week , every week .

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I'll see if there is something similar to the Mother Teresa. I'm not sure there is. I hope that this is a temporary situation.

[Iwantacookie]

I can recommend Wiltshire farm foods. I used to be a carer in the community and loads of my clients have these.
They can be cooked from frozen in around 10 minutes in the microwave (puddings too)
Always look and smell apitising and perfect size.

[Rememberallball]

Used to be a carer and the 3 most popular meal companies were WFF (good selection of dishes but quality can be hit and miss between dishes) Oakhouse Foods (better selection of dishes and portion sizes are good) and Cook - smaller selection of meals for 1 person but quality and ingredients far outweigh the other 2x

Also, do have a look at local Meals on Wheels service, in my old area they were delivered daily by volunteers and, in addition to freshly cooked lunches and desserts, they also offered a ‘sandwich tea’ and, if needed, a breakfast bag too. The downside of MoW deliveries is there is only one choice per day whereas the buy in services you have choices each day depending on what’s in the freezer.

[vdbfamily]

Our local MOW's service became Appetito which use Wiltshire farm foods and deliver them heated and will plate them out if required. They are agreat service and will also leave a simple packed tea at same time.