Meals on wheels does not exist anymore?

[Wheelymeals]

About 20 years ago, there was a meals on wheels service in my local area. The idea was that elderly people who could not cook would get a freshly cooked meal delivered to their door paid for by the council.

I had to enquire today for an elderly lady and the council said they closed the scheme several years ago. So I asked what are these people meant to do.

Option 1 - buy frozen food and microwave it.

Option 2 - pay for a food delivery service that is a business and also just available for lunch.

Option 3 - if they qualify for a carer, the carer will help them with food.

This does not make sense to me. I'm tried to look on the council website and they advertise the Option 2 I describe above.

Is this everywhere or did I misunderstand?

My grandma used Wiltshire farmfoods meals in the last few years of her life. I appreciate the meals still need microwaving but I don't think meals on wheels has been a thing for a while.

We have some meals on wheels services around here.

One of our local churches provides meals on wheels but I'm not sure if it's just a short term thing for those with acute illnesses or fractures like a broken hip.

I've seen adverts on TV for services which are essentially microwave ready meals that are delivered directly to the customer that the customer orders and buys. That would be "Option 2".
I can't think of the company names - there are several.
Edit: Wiltshire as mentioned above ! That's one of them.

Oh really? Are you based North / South?

I think meals on wheels stopped in our area 15+yrs ago!
I agree with the other poster, Wiltshire foods is popular because you can choose a smaller meal, larger one, softer, exclude ingredients due to allergies etc. Parsley box is another option and it doesn't need to be frozen.
My MIL volunteers at a luncheon club. $5 for a 2 course meal with tea/coffee once a week. They will also collect and drop off people for £3. Check if there is similar in your friends area.
Sign up to nextdoor.com in her area and ask what is available there.
If not done so, she might benefit from an adult social services assessment, because she might be eligible for more support such as carers to help with shopping/meal prep etc.

I did not think of the church, thank you! I will check with them too.

Most local authorities don't do this any more, they simply cannot afford to.
Wiltshire Farm Foods is the big name private company that delivers frozen or refrigerated meals for heating up. If someone is unable to heat up the meal independently, that's when you get into option 3 territory.

Does she have carers? Thanks get my mum microwave meals from Waitrose & bread/crumpets/cheese ham & the carers prepare something for her. The alternative was Wiltshire farm foods where they deliver ready made meals to her home.

My local community centre nothing to do with the council does meals on wheels, I go to a group there a couple times a week and the smells coming from the kitchens are divine.

I have an elderly relative who had it about 20 years ago and somehow the service disappeared without anyone noticing.

Thank you for all the recommendations, I will look into those.

The WRVS stopped doing meals on wheels and it became private perhaps 7 years ago. I know a couple of people who worked for them, both quit at this time due to the changes.

No more time to speak with service users or check their welfare, much more travel as they had regional offices not local ones and less money.

Really sad.

Meals on shells was great but it's was never free.

She does not have carers but she cannot safely prepare meals anymore. She would probably qualify for carers. Do carers also cook meals? I thought they did things more like personal hygiene.

Interesting, I hadn't looked it up for a while. Whilst council run schemes ended many years ago, pre-covid there was a company that did meals on wheels in our local area, but having just looked it up, they no longer do that service, and recommend wiltshire farm foods as the alternative.
One local town has a community hub that provides meals Mon-Fri or a day centre but it's very limited now it seems, which is such a shame as a often people just needed the hot meal but no additional care package. And people wonder why social care is in such chaos.

Do you not realise what 13 years of Tory government has resulted in? All this stuff has been cut. Votes have consequences.

You can ask your local authority for a care needs assessment, and they can help you evaluate what care she needs.
All care companies will do meal prep, shopping etc. they're not just for personal care 😊😊

I’m a carer and a lot of my service users use companies like this, and it drives me round the fucking bend. They send out these catalogues with lovely looking meals generally priced between £5-£8each, and they’re absolute shite, I literally wouldn’t feed them to my dogs. The £1 Iceland ready meals are nicer and better quality than these. They’re generally ordered by well meaning family members who think they’re doing something nice for their relative paying so much for a service and what they think are premium meals. I never say it as it’s not my place, but I’m always dying to tell them to just bung me £20 quid a week and I’ll feed my client better than what they’re paying £60 for.

It’s such a shame. A relative receives them in the north east so some areas still must have them.

Yes carers will do meal preparation as well as personal care if its in the plan.

However, that will usually be ready meals, maybe a can of soup, or similar, but generally something that is very straightforward and quick as their time is so limited.
And consider if your friend is able to clear away plates etc afterwards.
Worth looking up your local council to see their guidance on social services care needs assessment, however if there are savings above a certain bracket they would be expected to organise the care themselves

Thank you for sharing this. I was not sure if they were any good. For some reason, I always thought that microwave meals are not very healthy.

That's so sad though.

You aren’t wrong. My relative tried both of these places and said the food wasn’t very good and the portions were very small.

Was coming on to say this. We got them for my mam for a while. WFF were absolutely crap. Could have gotten a better frozen meal from Heron for less than half the price. I would not recommend.

I’m an agency carer so I work for multiple companies as cover (including the nhs). We’ll do anything we can physically do in the time. That includes personal care, giving meds, housework such as washing up/changing bedding/emptying bins, shopping, running errands and cooking/providing food. It’s actually very unusual to get a client that doesn’t need their meals making. I’ve got 16 clients where I am now, 14 have 3 meals and a snack made for them a day, 1 just has breakfast and dinner, 1 has breakfast and a takeaway brought in every day.

we still still have meals on wheels in our part of South Wales.

Carers can do meal preparation if it’s in that person’s care plan. many people have ready meals for them to heat up as the care calls aren’t long enough to cook full meals from scratch