The Real Value Of Meals On Wheels

16 Mar, 2012

The quality of Home Care provision has recently come under the spotlight and damning reports in the media recently have really highlight the need for social care reform.  As an addition or alternative to domiciliary care, a modern, vibrant Meals on Wheels service fit for the 21st century can play a vital part in maintaining and improving the living standards of those it serves – while saving money in the process.

During National Community Meals Week 2011 - the annual celebration which highlights the enduring importance of Meals on Wheels - several high profile figures were keen to show their support for the service; including the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow. Celebrities and dignitaries right across the UK were invited to assist with the daily meals delivery and as a result of their experience many voluntarily eulogised about the fantastic, unsung work they had witnessed being carried out by Community Meals staff.

Celebrity advocate Christine Hamilton described how Community Meals “does an unbelievable amount of good” and that “Any cuts to the service would result in a huge long-term loss for the sake of a short-term gain.” 

“Plus, anything that keeps people in their own homes for as long as possible will save the public money needed to support them in a care home.”

There is no doubt that Community based services like this can make a considerable contribution to helping the elderly and vulnerable remain in their own homes for as long as possible. Councillor Vanessa Newcombe, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children & Adult Services in Devon said: “It is estimated that up to 3.5 million people in the UK only have contact with another person once a week. The drivers who provide Meals on Wheels make daily contact with vulnerable people, not only bringing them hot meals, but also a friendly face, who delivers food and makes sure they are all right. This is a vital service enabling people to stay in their homes for as long as they can.”

Achieving this objective delivers significantly positive and improved outcomes for Local Councils via a tangible reduction in Care Home referral and costs. In addition, given the impact that the over 65’s have on the NHS, anything that contributes to keeping people out of hospital is also likely to deliver significant fiscal benefits.

Several of the Local Cabinet Members who experienced Community Meals first hand were astonished by the significant impact of the service and the reliance placed on it by service users, many of whom are housebound.

Councillor David Elkin, Cabinet Member for Children and Adults Services in East Sussex was one such example, describing how “being able to provide a hot meal to elderly people at home is an essential and much needed service”.

Councillor Amir Hussain, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Adult Services agreed saying: “Community Meals are a vital lifeline for many vulnerable residents because, as well as ensuring they get a healthy meal, they can be an important contact with the community.”

However, it is important to consider how this advocacy has filtered through into the day to day real life decisions that Local Authorities across the UK have to make.

During 2011 despite the pressure on Local Authority budgets, a number of councils have reconfirmed their long term commitment to their existing Community Meals service by renewing or extending their contracts. As such, in a particularly difficult market climate, there are still 19.5 million meals per year being delivered to homes throughout the UK; Given that most Local Authorities only allow those assessed as substantial or critical to be FACS eligible for support, these numbers are extremely thought provoking.

When analysing the main reasons why many Local Authorities seem prepared to commit to long term contracts there are a number of recurring themes that come through:

1. A Meals on Wheels service is seen as a relatively inexpensive way of monitoring the wellbeing of someone who wishes to remain in their own home and keeping people in their own home for longer is now a financial necessity for most Local Authorities
2. Many Local Authorities justify the financial cost effectiveness of their MoW service by expressing the cost to them in terms of the preventative benefits of receiving a personal visit from a trained MoW driver. This is a far more compelling argument as opposed to the cost of providing a hot meal at a subsidised rate
3. A service that is fair and equally accessible to all those who are most vulnerable avoids the risks of a postcode lottery based on the viability of private providers to service remote areas
4. Minimum nutritional standards can be set and more easily monitored
5. It is generally accepted that the alternatives to keeping people in their own homes are either a stay in hospital or admission to a Care Home. For each individual service user a MoW service will, on average, pay for itself if it reduces the time spent in hospital by 2 days and delays admission to a Care Home by just one week.

Food for thought.

If you would like to get in touch to discuss this topic further or to find out more about apetito and how we've helped Local Authorities with their Community Meals provision then please call us on 01225 757359 or send us an email enquiry.