Meals On Wheels Analysis

Do you have an elderly senior citizen in your family? Are they capable of cooking? They probably are not. Meals on Wheels are a community service program used to deliver meals to elderly people in their homes. The Meals on Wheels Program began delivering meals to homebound elderly residents since 1989, and since that time, over 1,500,000 meals have been delivered. (“MEALS”). This program for the elderly not only delivers food, but friendship to those whose age and health has declined (“MEALS”). In 2007, Meals on Wheels was awarded with the Congressional Hunger Award for eliminating the most hunger for the frail senior citizens (“MEALS”). Meals on Wheels have some positive and negative qualities. Some good qualities include helping the elderly;
however, the negative qualities include that they arrive too late and the food does not taste well.
Judgment

Helping the elderly is one thing everyone should consider. If it were not for the elderly senior citizens in this world, who once raised us, then we would not be here happy and healthy. Homebound frail senior citizens who receive Meals On Wheels are normally lonely and sometimes depressed. Mrs. Ann White said, “I am really grateful for the meals and your Meals on Wheels Staff. They have been so helpful to me. Having meals delivered to the door is amazing.” The program has touched so many of the different senior citizens by bringing them birthday cards with a cake, holiday meals, and even pet food for those with pets (“MEALS”). Mr. Anthony Taylor said, “Thank you for the birthday cake for my wife. It cheered her up just when she needed cheering up.” If an elderly person is homebound then they do just that. They stay inside all day long and do nothing. Senior citizens are always hoping for a visitor to walk through the door. My eighty-five year old grandmother, Joyce Bourgeois, is suffering from major joint problems throughout her whole body. Her joints are so horrible and fragile that it caused the bones along her spine to fracture. The doctors said that they cannot perform any surgery on her because she is too old and fragile to have a major surgery. She cannot drive anymore, or do anything on her own, so she receives Meals On Wheels. My grandmother lives every day of her life in pain and on strong medications that still do not cure her pain. Her one complaint that she always complains about is that they deliver her food too late. My grandmother says that she does not receive her lunch until 3 p.m., and sometimes even a few minutes later than that. She suggests that instead of just one deliverer for the whole town that they should have numerous deliverers designated for certain parts of each town.

In Detroit, there are many current complaints about the Meals On Wheels Program. Wayne County in Detroit switched to a new method and new food contributor in October of 2015 to try to save money. But, the method change has caused a major confliction from the senior citizens who receive them (“County”). There are fifteen representatives for Meals on Wheels in Detroit, and all of those representatives have received complaints relentlessly. Senior citizens are strongly voicing their complaints about the poor quality of the food and are not afraid to show it. One senior citizen of Detroit said that the meals were changed to be more like TV dinner-style food delivered in brown paper bags, reheated before delivery, rather than freshly cooked food delivered in plates (“County”). They feel that they are the backbone of that community and if it were not for them to raise there children to make Wayne County a happy town that Meals on Wheels should take the time to fix them the food that they deserve. I think that no matter how the food tastes that the senior citizens should still accept the food, for they can spice it up and fix it to how they like it.
S
l Objections Although some think that the food is not very appetizing, Mildred loves the food Meals on Wheels brings to her (“MEALS”).
Mildred Gould has been a recipient for Meals on Wheels for twenty years (“MEALS”). Recently Mildred had her 100th birthday, and Meals on Wheels was there to celebrate it with her by delivering her food with a birthday cake (“MEALS”). Mildred said, “I am very independent but I can no longer cook, I love the nutritious hot meals that they deliver to me every day.” Mildred also says that she does not agree with the fact that that they come late (“MEALS”). She said it does not matter what time they come because she once fell one time at around 2 p.m. and she could not pick herself back up (“MEALS”). Mildred said that if they had arrived at lunch time and she would have fell after then nobody would have been there to pick her back up (“MEALS”).
Conclusion

In conclusion, Meals on Wheels does have some negative qualities, but it is a part of life and can help an elderly person who is desperate for help and survival. I recommend this program for frail senior citizens who have family members that work during the week and cannot help them. Frail senior citizens need all of the help that they can get. Meals on Wheels are a great program to send not only food to them, but hug, best wishes, and friendships. All most senior citizens look forward to is having someone to talk to, if anything, besides the food, Meals on Wheels provides happy
futures.