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?

You can hire a private carer who will do anything you ask really. So a lunchtime call she could prepare a better quality ready meal like an M and S one as opposed to Wiltshire Farm Foods, check she's ok, make a hot drink, make sure medication has been taken, make sure her falls alarm is on and make up a sandwich for teatime.

Wiltshire Farm Foods are really for people who have carers going in the maximum 4 x a day, probably for 30 minutes a time because the carers don't have anyone else to do things for them. The advantage of WFF is that they come into the house and put the food into the freezer for people, they contain vegetables as well which many ready meals don't and they do contain SOME nutrition.

As always, better off people who are paying for their own care will have superior nutrition because those carers will stay for an hour to cook something fresh and care agencies will only be allocated 30 minutes just enough time for a ready meal.

|Haven't known meals on wheels to be used anywhere for 20 years.

Apetito used to deliver a hot lunch and also a sandwich for tea time. Thats another option but actually if you have to pay the better option is a carer for one hour and a nice ready meal, that'll cost you £20 for the private carer plus the price of the meal and as you have already said, Apetito charge £9 for lunch and £5 for tea. And the lunch arrives about 11am.

She does not have carers but she cannot safely prepare meals anymore.

OP- Even IF meals on wheels was still available in her area, what would she do for the other 2 meals a day they don't provide???

I would ask for an urgent adult social services assessment. Does she have any specific conditions meaning she can no longer cook? Dementia, arthritis, disability etc? She may well be able to get carers 3x a day to support with shopping/cooking etc. There is also the possibility that a facility with more support such as a care home might be safer. Without an assessment, no one can say, but unfortunately, it might have to be an option she might need to consider.

I know its expensive but your local deli or pub grub place could be as cheap a few times a week. Our local deli does a really nice daytime dinner for 6 euros, could be chicken curry, chicken, spuds, cabbage, gravy. Ham some days and cooked chickens etc. Burgers gravy, chips, rice. It works out cheaper than buying and cooking the meal if you live alone, unless you make 2 - 3 days dinner in one sitting. At times I make stew, lasagne and savoury mince, each to do me 2 days at a time, which saves on cooking and buy a cooked chicken for Sunday and sandwiches

I think you are worrying too much about "healthy"
Elderly people typically have small appetites and need calorie dense food. Whether something is microwavable and processed is not a major factor
Meals on wheels would also have done pie and mash....although not entirely sure what's unhealthy about that.

There are small local charities that may operate but ours only does 2 days a week, and has a paid service that subsidises free meals for those in need of them.

I don't think it's existed for a long time. My MIL has private carers come twice a day, mostly to help her with food. She gets porridge in the morning. The lady who comes in the evening has strict rules about what she can cook - it has to be a single portion microwave meal, all in one packet, because she's time limited. It's a shame because she likes things like pies that could be done in the oven, but they take too long. We do MIL's shopping online and her cleaner or carer unpacks them.

My parents had the local version of option 2 and it was the kind of food they liked. Plain, simple, well cooked with plenty of vegetables, followed by a pudding, infinitely better than any ready meal.

My relative works for a meals on wheels service run by our (ethnic minority) community centre in London. I assume all the customers have to be from that ethnic minority though.

This is what my dad had to make sure he ate which really is the most important thing . We used to shop for nice ready meals . Put them in the fridge and carer cooked for him otherwise he would just forget to eat .

Is she claiming attendance allowance? Well worth applying if not.
https://www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance

My late Dad used to have meals on wheels from the WRVS but they had to stop because they ran out of volunteers. No one wants to do anything if they are not paid these days. The council paid for the food but the delivery was by volunteers.

My aunt and my next door neighbour swear by Wiltshire Farms Foods.

My friend does meals on wheels and has done for about 30 years now (in Lancashire). Most providers are very small companies or community initiatives, very few councils still offer it. Most adult social services should be able to recommend a few local folks and better off asking on a local based Facebook community group for recommendations as many of the small groups won’t have decent if any web sites etc. it’s more a word of mouth thing.

I can think of 3 in my local town but one just does frozen now. My friend does hot meals and puddings in two sizes and offers a tea plate as well (normally sandwiches, snacks etc) and can do frozen upon request.

Seems very difficult to find traditional plain ready meals that elderly people seem to like. Food that is garlic and spice free, low in saturated fat, salt and refined sugar and refined carbs.
I would like to see ready meals for oldies that are calorie dense and nutritious because they contain healthy fats, low salt, low refined carbs and sugar, enough protein, complex carbs, vegetables pulses, legumes etc.
I’m still searching.

This.

So many cuts of all sorts of services have been made year on year, and most people don't realise until the time comes when they, or their family members need a little support along the way.

OP Where I live, there a loads of real heroes in the Community (usually Churches, despite so many on MN having no good word to say about them) that offer a hot meal once a week - some are free some are low cost, but all are prepared by volunteers and offered to whoever in the community would like to access them. You could go somewhere everyday if mobility allows. Most also have the benefit of a couple of hours of some form of entertainment or activity, and of course warmth and - importantly - company. Obviously I don't know what her mobility is like, but is that worth looking in to ?

I agree that Wilstshire Farm Foods meals look bloody awful. People thinking of buying these would be better off having a delivery of ready meals from M&S and freezing them. Probably cheaper too.

My Mum and mother in law both had meals on wheels which were delivered by a private company. The food was quite nice and was nutritionally balanced. the portions were ok for an older person who doesn't eat much anymore, and the food was always delivered piping hot. The company used regular drivers who got to know their customers, and they always opened up the meal and put it on a tray if that was needed. Our mothers lived in different boroughs in south London.

I volunteer delivering meals on wheels. On a remote scottish island though. Used to be council run, now by a community charity. It's a very much used & necessary service.

I think WFF are reasonable, M&S are better. WFF are very good in their ease of use and large lettering on the front. There is a company ICare who deliver hot food.

Just had a look as I live in Kent and there seems to be 19 options in different parts of Kent mostly Meals on Wheels

Some pubs that serve food will also deliver for a small fee.

The old meals on wheels service was pretty much on a par with frozen microwave meals. A lot of 'ready meals' are nutritionally balanced and tasty and brands such as Wiltshire have options for low cal, fat, sugar etc as well as softer options for those who struggle to chew. Realistically the cost of a delivery service would be prohibitive and would be of no better nutritional value. Also not everyone would be able to get their meal at their desired time. Inevitably someones would be like warm and someone else's would probably arrive at 11:30

We use oakhouse foods for my severely disabled relative.

we get a mixture (14 days worth) of mini meals (for lunch) and classic meals (for dinner and bulk up with extra frozen veg if needed) I don’t order any snacks or puddings.

it works for us as it can be ordered easily, they deliver and pack it away, and take away the packaging. My relative loves a chat with the delivery driver too.

yes it’s not amazing restaurant standard food but it makes life hell of a lot easier for us all. And my relative enjoys the meals. So it’s a win all round for us.

There is one advert, don't recall name of the company. Their tag line is our delicious meals require no refrigeration, can you imagine the amount of preservatives yuk.

I have a carer, and she cleans my house and batch cooks for me. I can still wash myself thankfully!

Try icare meals, can be ordered online