Meals on Wheels America

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Working With Health Care

Nationally accessible, locally delivered. Meals on Wheels programs pair nutrition, social connection and safety to help older adults stay healthier at home — providing a trusted network of community-based care supported nationally by Meals on Wheels America.

 

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Reducing Risk and Improving Outcomes at Home

Health care providers and health plans need partners who can reliably reach high-risk members at home.

Meals on Wheels programs combine nutritious meals with caring check ins and regular safety observations to identify needs, connect people to support and help prevent unnecessary hospitalizations or readmissions.

When Meals on Wheels knocks, vulnerable adults open the door with trust. Local programs provide one of the most consistent and effective front-door touchpoints for reducing avoidable health care costs.

Health Care Partnerships

Benefits of Working With Meals on Wheels

Working with Meals on Wheels connects health care organizations to a proven, community-based network that supports senior health and well-being. Local programs deliver measurable results by improving nutrition, reducing preventable hospitalizations and helping older adults maintain independence.

This partnership offers a reliable way to reach members consistently, enhance quality performance and reduce total cost of care through trusted, in-home support.

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Measurable Improvements in Senior
Health and Independence

Reducing Costs While
Improving Health

Meals on Wheels is a cost-effective, evidence-based solution that helps health care organizations achieve both health and cost-reduction outcomes.

  • Older adult falls cost the U.S. health care system $100 billion a year.1
  • Social isolation costs Medicare an estimated $9 billion annually.2
  • Receiving more than 11 home-delivered meals is associated with a lower hospitalization rate.3

Advancing Health
Outcomes

Meals on Wheels supports measurable improvements in key health indicators.

  • In one study, within two months of receiving meal services, the share of clients who were well-nourished tripled (from 8% to 29%), while those classified as malnourished declined from 34% to 6%.4
  • Home-delivered meal recipients have been found less likely to be hospitalized as a result of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.5
  • Research from Brown University’s More Than a Meal study found that daily meal delivery improves physical and mental health, reduces falls and lessens isolation.6

70% decrease in hospital costs after three months of meals

98% of participants reported the meal service aided in their recovery after hospital discharge

78% decrease in hospital readmissions after four months of meals

Citations for statistics: 7 8

More Than a Meal:
The In-Home Difference

Trusted Partners
in Every Community

With over 50 years of experience, Meals on Wheels is one of the most recognized and trusted names in community-based care. Older adults feel safe welcoming Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers into their homes, comfortably sharing information about their health and well-being. This trust provides reliable access and valuable insight that few organizations can match, helping health care organizations reach vulnerable members and improve outcomes nationwide.

  • 87% of the public are aware of the Meals on Wheels brand, and 93% of whom express strong favorability.9
  • 94% of home-delivered meal participants would recommend the service to a friend.10

Well-Being Monitoring

With regular in-person visits, Meals on Wheels is able to track and note changes in a client’s health status. Trained social workers, case managers or nutrition professionals conduct an initial risk screen and periodic in-home reassessments.

Almost all programs monitor and report observed changes and are prepared to help in an emergency — serving as a reliable first line of defense for potential dangers or declines in well-being.

Community Connections

Uniquely trusted and rooted in communities across the country, local Meals on Wheels programs build dignified, respectful relationships — connecting older adults to practical supports and community services that help them stay healthy and independent at home.

Tailored Nutrition

Local Meals on Wheels programs offer a wide variety of daily hot, chilled or frozen meal types, including medically tailored, clinically appropriate and meals tailored to meet cultural preferences that reflect the community.

Health Care Service Options

We’re able to tap into the nationwide network of approximately 5,000 local, community-based programs to serve almost all communities in the country. Every visit comes with a nutritious meal designed to meet the unique nutritional needs of older adults, an observation of their physical appearance and brief check of the home environment to look for trip and fall hazards.

Long-Term Engagement
Long-Term Engagement

Three-month or longer nutrition and social connection intervention to assist with the management of chronic conditions or recovery from orthopedic surgeries to support independent living in the home.

Contact Us About Long-Term Options

Short-Term Engagement
Short-Term Engagement

Two-week to 2-month nutrition support services to assist with post-hospital discharge or recovery-related needs.

Contact Us About Short-Term Options

Customized Engagement
Customized Engagement

We can work with you to identify a different type of care management plan to ensure the in-home safety and well-being of your patients or beneficiaries.

Contact Us About Customized Options

Work With Us

To learn more about how Meals on Wheels America and our nationwide network can provide cost-effective health care solutions, contact Ipyana Critton, Chief Health Officer, Meals on Wheels America.

Contact Us

Citations

  1. Haddad YK, Miller GF, Kakara R, et al. Healthcare spending for non-fatal falls among older adults, USA, Injury Prevention 2024; 30:272-276. https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/30/4/272 
  2. Flowers, L., Houser, A., Noel-Miller, C., Shaw, J., Bhattacharya, J., Schoemaker, L., & Farid, M. (2017). Medicare Spends More on Socially Isolated Older Adults. AARP Public Policy Institute. 
  3. Xu H, Weiner M, Paul S, Thomas J, Craig B, Rosenman M, et al. Volume of home‐ and community‐based Medicaid waiver services and risk of hospital admissions. J American Geriatrics Society. 2010 Jan;58(1):109–15.
  4. Wright, L., Vance, L., Sudduth, C., & Epps, J.B. (2015). The impact of a home-delivered meal program on nutritional risk, dietary intake, food security, loneliness, and social well-being. Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics, 34, 218-227. DOI: 10.1080/21551197.2015.1022681.
  5. Edwards DL, Frongillo EA Jr., Rauschenbach B, Roe DA. Home-delivered meals benefit the diabetic elderly. JADA. 1993;93(5):585-587. DOI:10.1016/0002-8223(93)91824-a
  6. Meals on Wheels America, with Thomas, K., Dosa, D., Brown University. More Than a Meal Study 1, 2015.
  7. Together in Care: An Enhanced Meals on Wheels Intervention Designed to Reduce Rehospitalizations among Older Adults with Cardiopulmonary Disease—Preliminary Findings, Galiatsatos, P., Ajayi, A., Maygers, J., Archer Smith, S., Theilheimer, L., Golden, S. H., Bennett, R. G., & Hale, W. D., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022. 
  8. The Impact of Meals on Wheels on Hospital Readmission Rates, Meals on Wheels America, 2024, https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/research/the-impact-of-meals-on-wheels-on-hospital-readmission-rates/
  9. 2020 SSRS omnibus survey conducted for Meals on Wheels America 
  10. Meals on Wheels America analysis of data from the ACL 2023 National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants. Data obtained through request. 

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