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More Than a Meal

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Participants were randomized to one of three groups: daily, traditional meal delivery (Meals on Wheels Program); once-weekly frozen meal delivery; or waiting list for meals (control). The intervention period was 15 weeks. Daily, traditional meal delivery of frozen meals included socialization and safety check at time of delivery.

Goal / Mission

The objective of the study was to characterize the population of older adults on waiting lists for home-delivered meals and compare their health and health-related needs to the population of older adults living in the community.

Impact

Between baseline and follow-up, respondents receiving daily-delivered meals were more likely to exhibit:
• Improvement in mental health (i.e., anxiety)
• Improvement in self-rated health
• Reductions in the rate of falls
• Improvement in feelings of isolation and loneliness
• Decreases in worry about being able to remain in home

Results / Accomplishments

Recipients of home-delivered meals had greater improvements in anxiety, self-rated health, isolation, loneliness, and reduced rates of hospitalizations compared to those who did not receive meals on waitlist. The greatest improvements on all outcomes were seen among those who received daily meals.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Meals on Wheels America
Primary Contact
Kali S. Thomas, PhD, MA
Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University
Box G-S121(6), Providence, RI 02912
Providence VA Medical Center, 830 Chalkstone Ave., Providence, RI 02908
401-863-9036
Kali_Thomas@brown.edu
Topics
Health / Older Adults
Health / Physical Activity
Organization(s)
Meals on Wheels America
Date of publication
3/2/2015
Target Audience
Older Adults