Providing care for an aging loved one isn’t easy – especially when you consider all of the other aspects of your life. Whether you’re juggling responsibilities at work, school, or home, time and energy can often run low. When caring for elderly parents, consider support options that help both you and your loved ones live life fully. Meals On Wheels helps caregivers save time and gain peace of mind through home delivered meals.
A 2015 AARP survey revealed that after screening 7,660 people, 18.2% served as unpaid caregivers. The nationwide nonprofit dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older estimated that 34.2 million adults in the United States are caregivers to an adult age 50 or older.
The first thing to know about caring for aging parents: You are not alone.
Many people who provide senior care are adult children, siblings, daughter/son-in-laws, and spouses of those who need assistance aging in place. And with the number of seniors expected to double by 2050, the need for elderly care will continue to grow.
Meals On Wheels Helps Caregivers of Aging Parents
As a caregiver for aging parents, you want your loved ones to be healthy, happy, and safe. But, you can’t be there all the time. Luckily, there are supports available to caregivers and their loved ones.
Some organizations offer programs and services that strive to meet the needs of aging adults and their caregivers. These agencies offer a variety of services necessary to remain independent at home and active in the community. By enlisting the help of your community’s nonprofit and human services organizations, some of the difficulties of providing parental care are lifted off of your shoulders.
Meals on Wheels NEO Puts a Community in Your Corner
If the first thing to know about caring for elderly parents is that you’re not alone, the second thing would be who is on your side. Meals on Wheels NEO can be a solution for many balancing the responsibilities of caring for a relative.
Meals on Wheels is a nationwide organization that operates through a network of more than 5,000 independently-run local programs. Meals on Wheels programs are committed to supporting seniors to live healthier and more nourished lives in their own homes.
If you are caring for elderly parents, Meals on Wheels is a great option for ensuring that they are healthy and engaged. Meals on Wheels services vary by program and location, but many offer similar services dedicated to the nutrition and well-being of aging adults.
Home-delivered Meals
Meals on Wheels programs provide nutritious meals delivered straight to your loved one’s door. This is immensely helpful if your loved one has difficulty preparing meals or getting out to the grocery store. You can be sure that they are receiving proper nutrition even when you are unable to cook for them or bring them meals.
Wellness Checks
Meals on Wheels is much more than just food delivery. Drivers provide wellness checks to ensure that your loved ones are safe at home. If they spot any changes in behavior, physical conditions, or living environment, they are trained to notify the correct authorities or emergency contact. You can have peace of mind that others are looking out for your loved ones, and it’s not just you.
Friendly Visits
When meals are delivered, drivers and volunteers offer friendly, safe interactions. These interactions help fight isolation in seniors who have limited mobility. Meals on Wheels team members and the seniors they serve get to know each other, so deliveries offer a time each day to be social.
Wrap-around Services
Vantage’s Meals on Wheels NEO is one program of VANTAGE Aging, a nonprofit serving the needs of older adults. Vantage Aging offers wrap-around programs that address more than just food insecurity in seniors.
The agency also provides Home Wellness, which includes homemaker, personal care services, and deep cleaning. And a partnership with The Blick Center provides mental health treatment and counselling for older adults. By connecting with Vantage, your loved one has access to all of the programs they need to age in place and a strong referral network for services not offered directly through the agency.
Calling on Those Who Pledge to Help Caregivers
Caring for an aging parent is a uniquely admirable and stressful experience. You know your loved ones better than anyone, but you don’t have to take care of them alone. You can count on your community members who have pledged to help our aging populations. Having the support of Meals on Wheels on your side as a caregiver helps you take care of your loved ones with less personal sacrifice.
If your loved one lives in Northeast Ohio, contact Meals on Wheels NEO for home-delivered meals from our trained and dedicated team.
Call 330-515-5605 or visit VANTAGE Meals on Wheels today.