Home-delivered meals
Meals brought to the house under the Older Americans Act, assessed on need rather than on income.
What it means
They must meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Dietary Reference Intakes, and may arrive by delivery, pick-up, carry-out or a similar route.
Eligibility may weigh the ability to leave home unassisted, the ability to shop for and prepare food, degree of disability, and social and economic need — which is a needs assessment rather than an income test.
The same program covers other nutrition services, expressly including weighted utensils, supplemental foods, oral nutrition supplements and groceries.
Why it matters
It is the service most families mean when they say meals on wheels, and a frequent reason they do not ask for it is a belief about income that the rules contradict.
The wider category is often a better fit than a meal, and is rarely mentioned.
When you are likely to meet it
- When a parent is no longer shopping or cooking reliably.
- After a discharge, when somebody has to eat and nobody is there to cook.