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Delivery of meals brings big benefits

The holidays are a time for reflecting on “days of old” with family and friends, and indulging in the comfort that seasonal meals bring, as we share and eat together. Many of our neighbors, though, are experiencing the difficulties of loneliness and social isolation during this time, and do not have the strength or ability to prepare meals like they once did. The Chautauqua County’s Office for Aging Services (CCOFAS) Dining In Service was established many years ago to alleviate the negative effects this type of social isolation and poor nutrition can have adults as we age.

The CCOFAS Dining In service has the honor of serving over 100,000 meals each year to eligible older adults in our community. In any given year, this service provides meals to more than 600 eligible community members in our county. These meals are prepared daily by the dedicated staff at our partner kitchen in Jamestown, and delivered by a roster of more than 85 friendly staff and volunteers from our partner delivery agencies in Dunkirk/Fredonia, Jamestown and Sinclairville. The purpose of the Dining In program, as set forth by the federal Older Americans Act, is to provide necessary nutrition in the form of a Home Delivered Meal to frail and isolated older adults who experience difficulty consistently accessing food related to:

¯ Issues accessing transportation to procure food

¯ Issues preparing their own food and meals daily

¯ Isolation because they do not have friends or family nearby to help or have someone checking on them daily

The understanding is that these meals may be the only meal our clients have access to each day, so the “wholesomeness” of each meal is the priority. Each meal is planned and analyzed to ensure it meets 1/3 of the required daily intake for an adult male (as we know if it meets the standard for a male than it also meets the criteria for a female). In addition, we also work to ensure the meals are ‘Consistent Carbohydrate’ for those who are managing Type 2 Diabetes, very low sodium for those working toward better kidney health, as well as easy to chew and swallow for those who may have difficulty.

In order to meet the high nutritional value that is required, we include whole grains, lean proteins, and vegetables in the meals. There are other items that we do not regularly serve (like hot dogs, sugary desserts, juices and gravies) because they are much too high in salt, saturated fat and sugar and do not meet the program’s nutrition standards. Because the focus of these meals is their nutritional value, they taste differently than the meals you find at fast food restaurants, frozen “TV Dinner” meals and most restaurant food – those meals can be extremely high in salt, fat and sugar.

Food safety is another priority area as these meals are transported from our kitchen to homes all throughout Chautauqua County. Specific safety measures are set in place and monitoring takes place regularly to ensure both the safety of the food and preserve its quality.

The Older Americans Act funding, its eligibility standards, and nutrition guidelines are developed by the Federal Government and passed to the New York State Office for Aging, and then down to our local Chautauqua County Office for Aging Services (CCOFAS). CCOFAS is audited annually for compliance with these standards. All services provided under the Older American Act, (including Dining In meals), are not considered “free.” Clients who receive a service do not get a “bill,” but instead are asked to make a voluntary contribution. In addition to our Dining In service, there are other home delivered meal programs provided in our community, many offered through local not-for-profit organizations. We work closely with these other organizations to provide referrals for members of our community that are not currently eligible for the CCOFAS Dining In service, but are interested in a home delivered meal.

The Chautauqua County’s Office for Aging Services Nutrition and Wellness Team considers it an honor to provide Home Delivered Meal services to older adults in Chautauqua County. As with all of our services, we are dedicated to helping all older adults in Chautauqua County stay independent and safe at home. If you or someone you know over the age of 60 is in need of information or assistance related to accessing nutrition or meal services or general information and assistance related safe and independent aging at home please call New York Connects at 716-753-4582 and leave a message with contact information.

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