8 insights from our case managers study

Case managers are the lifeblood of Mom’s Meals. Not only do they connect individuals who suffer from chronic conditions with the nutrition they need to manage their health, but they also ensure persons who have recently been discharged from the hospital receive the right nutrition during recovery.

In 2020 — and for the tenth year in a row — we hired an objective third party to conduct an online survey among case managers to understand their experience with Mom’s Meals^®. We’re pleased to share eight valuable insights:

1. Challenges with home-delivered meals In general 
   When asked about the most common issues case managers have experienced with home-delivered meals providers in general, the top three challenges identified were: poor food quality (42%), variety/choice (39%), and delivery issues (29%).
2. Most important part of home delivery 
   We asked case managers what they felt were the most important capabilities of a home-delivered meals provider. Not surprisingly, their top three responses were quality of food (61%), reliable delivery (45%), and the ability to choose meals (42%).
3. Importance of home-delivered meals during the pandemic
    Of case managers, 94% felt home-delivered meals were more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over three-fourths (76%) noted they were definitely more important.
   
   This is in line with our 2020 customer survey, where the majority of Medicaid (53%) respondents felt home-delivered meals were more important or much more important during/since COVID-19 than they were prior to the pandemic. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic made it especially difficult for many individuals to access food given shelter-in-place orders and/or limited food supplies. Many businesses and community programs have shut down. Additionally, people with chronic conditions, a group considered to be at high risk for COVID-19, were wary of leaving their homes for fear of getting sick.
4. Meal quality satisfaction 
   Case managers were asked to rate their satisfaction with the quality of Mom' Meals based on their personal experience and feedback from their clients. Most respondents (90%) noted their satisfaction with meal quality was good, very good, or excellent.
   
   Every meal at Mom’s Meals is designed to taste great and be nutritious! Our chefs use only fresh, high-quality ingredients, and all of our meals meet current Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as recommended dietary reference intakes (DRI) established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. To address the needs of those managing a chronic condition, our health-condition-specific menus meet the established industry standards for each chronic condition.
5. Menu variety satisfaction 
   We asked case managers to rate their satisfaction with our menu varies based on their personal experience and feedback from their clients. The majority of respondents (86%) noted that the menu variety at Mom’s Meals was good, very good, or excellent. 
   
   We pride ourselves on offering a wide menu to appease all kinds of palates. We utilize high-quality ingredients to create well-rounded, seasonal menus featuring classic comfort foods along with contemporary favorites. We change our menu frequently to “keep it fresh.” At any given time, customers can select from 40, or even 50 options. With so many choices, even we’d have a tough time choosing!
6. Matter of choice 
   We inquired as to whether case managers’ clients eat more regularly since they’re able to choose every meal for every delivery through the Mom’s Meals program. The vast majority (72%) of case managers agreed that clients do eat more regularly for this reason.
   
   By offering your clients a choice in what they eat, Mom’s Meals makes it easy for case managers to support better health outcomes. When clients have the ability to choose what they eat, greater independence is within reach—they may feel a sense of control and dignity that has long been missing.
7. Delivery service satisfaction 
   When asked how satisfied case managers are with Mom’s Meals delivery service, 92% ranked our delivery service as good, very good, or excellent.
   
   Mom's Meals delivers to all 50 states. We reach our customers either through delivery by our refrigerated trucks or a third-party carrier like FedEx or UPS. No matter what the method, our customers know they can depend on us to get them the nutrition they need.
8. Overall satisfaction
   Case managers were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with Mom' Meals based on their personal experience and feedback from their clients. The vast majority (95%) noted their overall satisfaction was good, very good, or excellent.

All in all, what our case managers have to say (nearly 650 of them in 2020!) helps us to shape our organization — from developing quality home-delivered meal programs to providing the tools case managers need to make a difference in their clients’ lives.

Want to learn more about Mom’s Meals?

• Visit the Case Manager section of our website or download our Case Manager packet
• If you are currently contracted with Mom’s Meals you can start a new client