Nutritional Needs of Our Seniors

Many seniors need assistance when it comes to nutritional meals. They may be in situations where they can’t afford to keep their shelves stocked with easy to prepare meals or they may be unable to do any meal preparation for themselves. No matter what the circumstance is, there are some options available for our seniors today. One program that is readily available is known as Meals on Wheels. If there is a greater need for seniors, there are also assisted living communities that may be a more suitable option. Either is a great resource for any senior with the need for proper nutrition.

There is a Meals on Wheels program located in my local area. It is run by Trinity Baptist Church and the local community. They provide two meal options. One is meal delivery to a participant’s home and the other is congregate meals which the participant goes to a local area to be served food. The only other qualification for this program other than being a senior is to be disabled. Due to the demand of this service and unpredictable funding, need may be verified before a senior can become active in the program.

The goal of this program is to provide the seniors in need in our community a nutritious meal. As for the funding of Meals on Wheels, there is some funding received by the government but mostly funding is received through donations and fundraisers. The seniors do have to pay for their meals but this is based on income. It can range from $2-$4 per meal. In cases where there are hardships, the meal may be at no cost to the senior. The program does have a nutrition consultant review the menus. Special consideration is provided for special diets, eating ability, and tastes for seniors. The only suggestion I could recommend for this program would be to make sure that those receiving the service is in need of it. It is sad to think that there are those among us that would take something from those who truly need it.

The only other somewhat similar program I could find in my area is not a program at all, but an assisted living complex. I have included this because they do meet the needs of the aging community with the services they provide. There are several of these in my area and their services are endless when you consider all things that seniors generally need assistance with. Assisted living establishments are generally privately owned and most, if not all, offer three meals a day to their occupants. There is no qualification process to go through. You simply pay a monthly rent to stay in one of their apartments and everything else is included. Funding is either paid by the senior themselves or by their family members. The cost varies depending on the size of the apartment and the services the senior wants included. Again, the meals are designed by a nutrition consultant so that all considerations are made. Overall, these communities are wonderful for those seniors that can afford it and who have needs that their family can not meet.

As I researched for this information, I found it to be very easy. I used the internet to locate phone numbers and I simply made the needed calls. For a senior, I am not sure how accessible finding this information would have been. Many seniors do not have computers and trying to look for anything in the phone book may be difficult because of the small print. I would think that large print brochures placed in many areas where seniors usually go or through mailings would be a great way to inform seniors in the community of the services available. Also, advertisements on television would be great. I have seen many advertisements for assisted living homes but I have only heard of meals on wheels through word of mouth. Overall, I think it is wonderful that these programs are around and that seniors do have options for their nutritional