Nutrition
Making a meal, driving to the dentist, and taking a shower — they’re things most adults do without thinking twice. But as people reach their 70s and 80s, these activities can become more challenging, and even more unmanageable.
As health and mobility wane, so does independence. At this point, some seniors who have the means to do so, move to senior living facilities. But most older individuals opt to age in place, or live where they choose — usually at their own home. An AARP study shows that 77% of adults age 50 and older want to stay in their homes as they age.
Managing activities of daily living (ADLs)
Aging in place offers the comforts of home and often proximity to family and friends who provide support and camaraderie. But aging in place can also present challenges around managing ADLs, which include
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Eating
- Toilet hygiene
- Walking
To help older individuals age in place and manage ADLs, community initiatives, government programs and many companies offer services to make living at home longer possible. Home modification programs make houses more accessible for seniors with mobility issues, and transportation services help people who don’t drive. Another popular service for those aging in place are home-delivered meals.
Medically tailored, home-delivered meals make a difference
Home-delivered meal services are particularly effective — and popular — programs because they do more than provide food. Most importantly, home-delivered meals provide regular access to food. Between mobility, transportation and health issues, seniors often have trouble accessing or preparing meals.
But not all food is created equal. It’s not uncommon for older adults, especially those living alone, to eat a quick piece of toast or some convenient, but highly processed snack foods, for dinner. Without proper nutrition, they are at risk for a host of health issues that can lead to even bigger problems.
This is especially true for people living with chronic conditions, like heart disease, kidney disease or diabetes. A medically tailored, home-delivered meals program, such as Mom’s Meals®, uses food as medicine to help them get the nutritional support needed to maintain overall well-being, help manage their condition and promote healing from illness and injury. Addressing all these factors with medically tailored home-delivered meals have been shown to reduce hospitalizations, length of stay and readmissions.
People aging in place want a voice in their care, dignity and social connection, and home-delivered meals support those things as well. In a Mom’s Meals survey of clients, 76% of respondents believe home-delivered meals are an important service that allows them to stay in their homes and 92% are aware they have the choice in their meal selections.
Interestingly, home-delivered meals also help to reduce isolation. In the same survey, 62% of respondents agreed that they felt less lonely due to Mom’s Meals because they interacted with their delivery person or customer care.
Mom's Meals can help
We help individuals improve health and preserve independence at home. With nutritious ready-to-heat-and-eat meals conveniently delivered direct to homes, we take the guesswork out of eating better. Choose every meal, every delivery from our nine condition-specific menus that are nutritionally tailored to support common health conditions including heart disease, chronic kidney disease and diabetes.
Each delicious meal is designed by registered dietitians and professional chefs, and created in USDA- and FDA-inspected facilities — providing the highest level of compliance with federal regulations governing food production.
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