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?

I remember a few years ago the hairy bikers tried to help out a local meals on wheels and kick start it in other areas. They were heavily dependent on volunteers. They were reasonably successful but I've no idea how well the services did in the long run.

I'd also see if you have a local volunteer service. They are invaluable for knowledge on elderly services. Our local one has volunteers who shop, do hospital runs, Doctors runs, befriending services and social visits. They have volunteers who will put food in a microwave for people as part of a social visit, food drop, medical pick up or drop off.

They can also recommend cleaners, repair people and other services that they know are trustworthy.

I order m&s ready meals from Ocado for an elderly relative. Lots are 2 for £6 or 3 for £8. He just fills his freezer and microwaves as needed. He doesn't need care yet, but I expect this will work well when that time comes too.

Have a look at places like local butchers or bakers.

We have two locally that sell microwaveable meals, but they’re basically what they sell each day and don’t have a tonne of salt/preservatives in them.

For pensioners it’s £3.50 a meal and they deliver weekly. It was DH’s granny’s home help carers that told us about them as she was using a frozen meal delivery service and they were shite

I used to work for a council Meals on Wheels service many years ago. We had huge bunches of keys and would let ourselves in to elderly people's homes. Sometimes we were the only people they would ever see and the only people they would speak to. The thought of even that tiny bit of human contact having been removed is so sad. One day I found an elderly man dead in his armchair. How long might he have been there without the MoW service?

My mum used to buy meals from Wiltshire Farm foods and keep them in the freezer. I tried one on a few occasions and definitely would not want to eat them all the time. They're not very appetising.

When mum was in her 60s and 70s she used to be a volunteer for the meals on wheels service in her town. Sadly, by the time she needed to use the service herself, in her 90s, it was no longer available.

What constitutes a "healthy meal"for the very elderly is different from a healthy meal for someone in the prime of life. Appetite may be small, therefore meals need to be calorie-dense.A care home may add cream to the mash. Long term healthiness is less important, the main thing is to get a steady supply of food in and avoid weight loss.

The generation now in their 70s-90s were brought up in 1930s -1950s. People often revert to the safe spaces of their childhood as they got old and life gets more challenging, so pie and mash is comforting. No point in paying for a meal which isn't eaten.

Not my experience - the "meals on wheels" my father had from a private company subcontracted to the LA were good. And microwavable meals are no good to someone too disorganised to sort his own meal. My dad would go through the cycle of sleep, get up, shave, breakfast, lunch, tea ... but instead of taking him 24 hours it'd take him more like 48 or 72 hours! Meals on wheels imposed some sort of order.

Microwaveable meals are also pointless for someone who’s forgotten how to operate the microwave.

It has been suggested already that you enquire on your local Facebook groups.

In addition, there is also the nextdoor.co.uk website that you can ask on, there may be hotels / restaurants / pubs / small food businesses that are around, as well as church halls / community centers etc.

I'm really sad to hear this
I used to help my grandparents do meals on wheels. People really needed the service. Most the times while we were there they'd sometimes ask us to open a jar or tin for them for later. Or to reach something they had dropped. They were alone and it wasn't just the food we provided. It was social contact and checking people were okay. Awful to hear this service has gone

I've reflected, and the most important thing to can do is show your relative that there are lots of options, so if she doesn't like something she won't just stick with it. During covid lockdown, my mum hated getting her salad and veg from supermarket deliveries, so we found a farm truck that would bring a selection for the road; then all mum's neighbours went out for it! I sent a meat parcel, so Mum then arranged a fish truck to visit too, all by herself. Dad became unwell and mum was struggling to get out, and yet they were bored with microwave meals so we arranged for the local pub and a local cafe to confirm menu and drop off meals. Admittedly I'm in London and we are a couple of years later, but both of those cost significantly less than the local meals on wheels outsource firm costs.

When my Nana was unwell, her cleaner would sort lunch and bits; much cheaper than a carer oddly yet much friendlier than a random different "carer" person sent each time at someone else's profit. She was just a lovely woman who Nana liked to have stay and eat lunch with her while chatting, and she'd keep on top of the cleaning. We'd have to argue to pay her for all the time she was there!

Short version; you can't get great quality at a knock-down price, but you can get lots more decent options by thinking up extra ideas, and you need to have a broader scope in the best options for your price bracket. I'd suggest either a microwave meal that's better quality from the supermarket, plus salads, toasties, soup and other bits and a nice person nipping in to help out... Or pay for a decent local service.

My MIL has meals on wheels in East Herts, lovely service for her (though she moans about the sausages)

My grandparents get Wiltshire foods. They have a lovely menu online and you get your week's food and puddings delivered once a week. It's good food. Once my gran got dementia and grandad Parkinson's she couldn't cook anymore. It's great they decide what they want and pop it in the microwave. My grandad loves the sponge puddings.

It depends what you call cook. Typically they would be allocated 15mins for this so it's generally only preparing a ready meal or sandwich. They wont be say making a shepherds pie from scratch. Of course if you're paying you can negotiate.

Many years ago I used to help my mum cook and deliver Meals on Wheels, it hasn’t been available now for at least 20 years because of a lack of volunteers.
We have a local luncheon club where volunteer drivers pick up the attendees. Our local pub does takeaway meals but you’d need someone to collect it.
I think supermarket ready meals are more nutritious than the WFF etc ones, cheaper too but obviously relies on someone being able to heat then up.

DH had a spat with his sister about this. She was scandalised that he'd given their frail 89yo mother a McDonalds. He pointed out that she got more protein and carbohydrates from the McDonalds that she ate and enjoyed, than the ready made lasange that she'd barely picked at. She was at the point of rapid decline, and it was getting calories in to her that counted. With the chronic health issues she had, it was beyond the point of worrying much about vitamins, cholesterol or blood pressure. She was in her final year before the inevitable occurred, and the finer points of nutrition were a moot point.

What about local day centres - they often do hot meals plus it will be activities and socialising too

Recently, reading BBC news articles

Some councils have declared bankruptcy this year

Some councils who are struggling for cash have stated that they will not be funding libraries, public toilets & some other services due to costs

Unfortunately, all councils are struggling for cash. When my relative was due to leave hospital, I was given a list which included buying a microwave & ready meals. As described by another poster they had poor appetite. I was pleased if they ate anything & the focus was not on healthy food, but any food !

My local area offers a meeting place where local people can go for a hot meal. There are volunteers who will assist with transport. However, some people do not like the idea of socialising.

Depending where you live, there is now Just Eat delivery from takeaways or from shops

Market Place Facebook offer ready prepared meals too in some areas

Stay in your own home or move to a care home ?

It all costs money & time

Look at the news headlines people want money spent on schools, housing, cutting crime, NHS. Sadly, looking after elderly or disabled people are often much lower on the lists of must have

I really don't see how the tory government can cut taxes when there are so many services need funding . But they are probably willing to let these services go without in exchange for votes .😒

Example

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/why-nottingham-city-council-effectively-bankrupt-b1105266.html

I wanted to come with an update. I'm done a lot of research and spoken to a lot of people today. No real community where she lives in terms of communal food preparation.

The general consensus is that the frozen type foods (Wilshire, Oakfarms) are not that great. The private meals of wheels is more lukewarm by the time it it would get to hers.

She definitely would qualify for carers but it's a big step for her as she really values her autonomy.

For now, we have decided to go for M&S ready meals and top up with food deliveries. It is not the healthiest but it will have to do for now while I get her used to the idea of carers.

It's a shame though... it makes me think about my own old age.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to answer, comment and make suggestions.

She definitely would qualify for carers but it's a big step for her as she really values her autonomy

Most older folk are the same.
One gradual way in that sometimes works is to get her to accept a cleaner twice a week. So starting by allowing someone in to the home. Initially "just for the bigger jobs - changing the sheets and vacuuming the hard to reach places". Once she gets used to her, then maybe she could come in another couple of days to get a bit more done - the kitchen and the bathroom - the hall stairs and landing - gradually start to tackle {insert the spare room or the garage} - maybe do a bit of ironing. You get the idea.
All without using the word 'carer'.

That’s how we did it with my parents. Ably aided and abetted by their angel of a cleaner for whom nothing was too much trouble.

My father is in a nursing home, and resolutely calls the carers "helpers". Terminology matters. (See also "pads" vs "nappies")