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AMCAB senior meal program threatened by funding cuts
by Pam Christensen
The cost to provide a hot, nutritious meal to a homebound senior citizen every day for a year costs less than one day in the hospital, and yet the Alger Marquette Community Action Board (AMCAB) Senior Meals Program continually loses funding on state and federal levels. A senior meal costs $6.00 to prepare and deliver. Less than half of that cost is covered by federal and state funds. The rest of the funding is collected from client donations, millage funding, United Way and other local contributions.
The program, commonly called Meals on Wheels, provides meals five or seven days per week and serves 500 homebound seniors. 24,000 meals are delivered each year. The annual budget for Meals on Wheels is $194,000.00. Unfortunately, funding for this program has been reduced steadily over the past seven years, and the program has to raise an additional $30,000 over the remainder of this fiscal year to keep the program serving the current number of customers. Without additional funding, 500 meals will have to be eliminated.
“The last time we met with our Michigan legislators, I stressed the importance of our program for maintaining the independence of seniors and keeping them out of nursing homes. I asked Michigan Senator Tom Casperson if he would ride on a route and then tell me who I should cut from the program,” says Lori Stephens-Brown, director of the program. “It is at the point we have to start limiting our services due to budget cuts. I hate to do that because I know firsthand how effectively our senior meals program enhances the quality of life for our region’s seniors. These programs are crucial for many seniors.”
Larry Marta delivers meals to almost thirty customers in Marquette each weekday. “This program has changed my life,” says the former miner, who worked for thirty years with Cleveland Cliffs before retirement. After a year as a substitute meal deliverer, he was assigned his own delivery route as a permanent driver. The route is about twenty miles long and takes him about two and a half or three hours to run per day, but he enjoys each and every minute of it.
Some of the customers merely greet Larry at the door and take a meal, exchanging a brief hello or comment about the weather. Others like to share a bit of their lives with him. Some are able to get to the door to let him in, while others wait in a chair for him to knock and meet them where they are sitting. Several customers have a dog, and Larry delivers the meal along with a treat for the four-footed companion.
One of the benefits of the Senior Meal Delivery Program is the daily contact and quick wellness check with one of the twelve drivers who run the routes each day. They get to know their customers, andthey know when something is amiss. Many of the customers do not have local relatives to watch over them or help with everyday problems. Drivers have arrived to find customers on the floor after a fall, confused due to medical conditions or medication issues or with other problems they cannot solve. The senior meals program office has emergency contacts for each customer, and drivers will call the staff when they have a concern. Some of the problems are simple; a customer needs delivery of a medication or contact with another social service agency. Others require the emergency contact be notified to deal with a more serious situation. If a senior does not answer the door, the driver alerts the office and the senior’s emergency contact is called and asked to check on the senior.
“Drivers have found customers on the floor after a fall or a stroke. In some instances a driver knew something was wrong and immediately alerted authorities for assistance or figured out how to get into the house to check on the customer. That daily contact and personal check is invaluable,” says Stephens-Brown. “There are many issues we can deal with that, if left alone, would develop into something much more serious.”
The daily meals are hot and provide at least one-third of the minimum daily calorie and nutritional needs for the day. The delivery meals are prepared at one of the four commercial kitchens. Kitchens are located at Lost Creek in Marquette, Tilden, Gwinn and Munising Hospital. Brenda Matson, food services manager, develops the monthly meal calendar. Bill Donnell is the cook at the Lost Creek kitchen. Donnell has long experience cooking in the hospitality industry.
“Our meals really improved after Bill was hired,” says Stephens-Brown. “He uses his background to prepare meals that look attractive and are delicious. We survey our customers each year, and they have been very positive about the changes Bill has made in the meals.”
The senior meal delivery program’s goal is to provide a daily meal for homebound seniors more than sixty years of age. When seniors are referred to the program, they are asked about their age and ability to leave the home on a regular basis. If a physical or mental condition keeps them from leaving home, they are added to the program. Within ten days, they are visited by a social work assessor who reviews their situation and completes a program assessment. At this time, they may be referred to other agencies that might be of assistance. If the requirements for the program are met, the senior begins to receive meals on a permanent basis. Unlike many programs, there are no income limitations. This surprises many people, but the goals of the program are to help seniors eat well, stay at home and live independently. These goals are not affected by the economic status of the meal recipient.
If needed, caregiver meals can be provided to the spouse or caregiver of a homebound client, even if younger than sixty.
Each month, participating seniors receive a letter stating how many meals were delivered the previous month. The letter also asks the senior to donate toward the cost of those meals, if they are able. The recommended amount per meal is $3.00. Some seniors are able to pay more, and some pay less. Seniors who cannot donate for their meals are not in jeopardy of losing the service. Oftentimes children of the seniors will cover the cost of meals for their parents.
The Senior Meals program has established a sponsorship program for donors who would like to sponsor a meal for a senior. A sponsorship for a week of meals is $15.00, meals for one month are $65.00 and a year’s worth of meals for one senior is $780.00. More information about sponsoring a senior can be obtained from Stephens-Brown.
In addition to state and federal funding, the program receives funding from United Way and from senior millages in Alger and Marquette counties. Service clubs and individuals also contribute toward the program. State and federal funds cover forty-seven percent of program costs, twenty-six percent comes from the seniors receiving meals, county senior millages contribute sixteen percent; and eleven percent comes from United Way, in-kind and other donations.
Alice Helwig has been receiving Meals on Wheels for almost a year. She and her Yorkshire terrier Lily eagerly await Larry’s visit each day.
“Having Larry visit is a real addition to my life,” says Alice. “I don’t worry so much about falling. I know if I do fall, Larry will be here to check on me and I won’t lie on the floor alone.” She commented that Larry always is on time, so she and Lily know when he will arrive.
Dorothy, another customer, joked with Larry about the meal of the day: spaghetti, garlic bread, cauliflower, green beans and jello with fruit. She had her box of spices next to her living room chair, so she could spice up the cauliflower.
“I love the roast chicken and they have improved the meatloaf,” she added. Dorothy once made a negative comment about the meatloaf on one of her surveys. “They called and asked for my meatloaf recipe. Who has a recipe for meatloaf?” she chuckled.
Jeannette is one of Larry’s oldest customers, at ninety-eight. She has to repeat her age, because she does not seem just shy of 100 years. She appreciates the service, not only for her daily visit with Larry, but for the assurance that she will get a hot meal each weekday.
“My son lives next door,” she said, “but he can’t do everything for me. I can’t get out and I would get so frustrated if I decided to cook for myself and didn’t have one or two ingredients. I just couldn’t make what I wanted. It eases my mind to know I will have one meal that I don’t have to worry about fixing myself.”
Larry’s customers all said they love receiving the monthly menu that details each meal. It gives them something to look forward to. Each of them has favorites. The survey results help the Senior Meals program determine what to serve.
“Several years ago we dropped fish from the menu due to the negative comments, but recently our customers have asked for fish, so we have added it back on the menu,” says Stephens-Brown.
The quantities prepared limit the amount of custom requests the program can meet. The meals can be puréed for customers who have trouble swallowing. Meals that have been chopped are served for those who have problems chewing. Unfortunately, the program cannot cook specific meals for renal diets, gluten-free or other food restrictions due to a limited budget. Most customers who need special diets can work their diet around the daily meal. Stephens-Brown says AMCAB would like to add more fresh produce, local products and whole grains to the program as funds allow.
Extra meals are cooked each day. These meals are frozen and delivered to customers for weekends or holidays. Seniors can heat the readymade meal on days when delivery is not available. Customers are asked to contact the program if they are not going to be home to accept a meal, are out of town or in the hospital. This assures that meals are not wasted. Seniors like this flexibility and make the extra effort to notify the Senior Meals staff if they will be unavailable to accept a meal.
For Stephens-Brown, the fact that many of the state and federal budget cuts have targeted seniors is a difficult situation to justify.
“We use every penny wisely, don’t waste food or money and make do, so we can feed our seniors,” she says. “For a simple program that assures the health and safety of our communities’ seniors, you can’t find a more cost-effective use of funds.”
Information about the Senior Meals Delivery Program is available from the AMCAB Web site, www.amcabmqt.org or call 228-6522, extension 302.
–– Pam Christensen
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