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In 2018, for the first time ever, Meals on Wheels America worked with its membership of local community-based senior nutrition providers to develop a comprehensive, data-driven national profile of Meals on Wheels clients and the programs that serve them. The More Than a Meal® Comprehensive Network Study presents a complete look at the demographics of seniors receiving Meals on Wheels services, as well as the organizational make-up and extent of offerings provided, highlighting the impact Meals on Wheels makes every day in the lives of seniors in need.
The More Than a Meal® Comprehensive Network Study reflects the findings of a data collection effort conducted between 2018 and 2019, and the resulting report reflects the needs and composition of local Meals on Wheels providers and the seniors they served within this time frame.
Key Findings
Client Overview
Client data collected from local Meals on Wheels providers in this study affirmed they do, indeed, serve the most vulnerable and those who may not be served by other programs/services.
- More than half of all clients served were 75+, and one-fourth of clients were 85+.
- More than 50% of clients were widowed.
- Two-thirds of clients were at or below the poverty line, with one-third having a monthly income of less than $1,000.
- While minorities make up 23% of seniors nationwide, they made up 33% of local providers’ clientele.
- Local providers served more than 475,000 veterans.
- 27% of local providers said more than half of their home-delivery clients need home modifications to help them live safely and independently in their homes (“aging in place” modifications).
- 20% of local providers served a mostly or exclusively rural community.
Service Offerings
Prior to beginning our work on the Comprehensive Network Study, we knew anecdotally that local providers were delivering many different types of programming to bolster the typical Meals on Wheels service. As part of the preliminary design work for the study, we confirmed this by speaking to a number of providers and surfacing dozens of unique services they offer.
From nutrition to snow shoveling to legal action and advocacy services, these providers offer a wide variety of services to seniors that support independent living and aging in place in their own communities. For this research effort, we then narrowed down this long list to the 19 services listed below. However, we know this undoubtedly underrepresents the breadth, depth and diversity of local Meals on Wheels provider offerings.
Nutrition Services
- Home-delivered meals
- Congregate meals
- Medical meals
- Nutrition education
- Nutrition counseling
- Nutrition assessments
- SNAP application assistance
- Coordination of USDA Food Assistance programs
- Meal packs upon hospital discharge
- Grocery assistance/delivery
Safety Services
- In-home assessments
- Safety programs
- Home repair programs
- Medication management
Social Connection Services
- Senior companion services
- Telephone reassurance
- Pet assistance and/or pet food delivery
Other Supportive Services
- Care coordination
- Transportation
The More Than a Meal® Comprehensive Network Study affirmed that local Meals on Wheels providers, as a collective, operate as a closely knit network across community, state and regional boundaries and that they share the same important core offerings: nutrition, safety, socialization and community connection.
Above all, the More Than a Meal® Comprehensive Network Study verifies that local Meals on Wheels providers are tightly aligned behind common core service offerings and a passionate mission of supporting seniors through so much more than just the nutrition they need to remain healthy at home and in their communities, where they want to be.
Download Full Report
In reproducing any excerpts of this report, please provide a credit that recognizes Meals on Wheels America, such as: Meals on Wheels America. (2019). More Than a Meal® Comprehensive Network Study. https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/research/more-than-a-meal-comprehensive-network-study-2019/
Produced with generous support from
