Do you know a homebound senior who can't shop or cook for themselves?
Most homebound seniors are challenged with purchasing and preparing food. Lee County Meals On Wheels volunteers work to solve that problem. Just give them a call at 239-337-1055.
Having a private caregiver to purchase, prepare, serve, and store nutritious meals is a great idea and one that we at Abby Services are happy to help with. Unfortunately, receiving private in-home care is not an option for every senior in Fort Myers and Cape Coral.
Currently, the average life expectancy is at a record high of 79 years. Unfortunately, with an increasing life expectancy, many seniors experience physical declines or financial hardships that strip away their independence, leaving many seniors hungry and alone.
According to Meals On Wheels America
- 1 in 4 seniors lives alone.
- 1 in 4 seniors reports feeling lonely.
- Even before the Coronavirus Pandemic, 9.7 million seniors were threatened by hunger.
The Lee County Meals On Wheels program serves residents in Fort Myers and Cape Coral. The national Meals On Wheels Program is locally organized and administered by CCMI (Community Cooperative Ministries Inc.).
CCMI’s Lee County Meals On Wheels volunteers deliver nutritious home-delivered meals and provide a friendly, safety, and security check, to eligible homebound neighbors who cannot shop or cook for themselves every day. Lee County Meals On Wheels recipients include seniors, the disabled, or chronically ill adults under the age of 60.
Meals On Wheels recipients may receive meals short-term while recovering from an illness or surgery, or long-term, to help them remain safe and independent in their homes.
The services provided by CCMI help to ensure the continued health and well-being of over 1,000 elderly and homebound citizens in the greater Fort Myers area.
CCMI also provides food and care products for pets that bring joy and companionship to our seniors.
By providing these services Meals on Wheels brings more than just food to their clients, they help to ensure that our seniors in need are kept safe, comfortable, and living in their own homes.
Here is how to learn more about the Lee County Meals on Wheels Program.
Print and complete the application and mail, email or fax to:
Community Cooperative
Attn: Meals on Wheels
P.O. Box 2143
Fort Myers, FL 33902-3429
[email protected]
Main Office: 239-332-7687
Meals on Wheels program: 239-337-1055
Fax:239-479-5335
Meals On Wheels is more than just food.
Meals On Wheels works to address in-home safety issues many seniors face. Their efforts aim to make it more manageable for seniors to continue living in their own homes as they age.
Unfortunately, many of the homes seniors reside in were not designed to accommodate aging in place. Hazards such as outdated electrical work, uneven floors, and poor lighting create an unsafe environment that places seniors at an increased risk of injury or a fall. Combined with the fact that many seniors lack the ability and/or finances to make home safety modifications creates a risky situation with limited solutions.
Through a strategic partnership with The Home Depot Foundation, the Meals on Wheels in-home safety initiative seeks to further explore these hazards seniors face in their own homes and work to identify solutions and interventions to improve safety and fall prevention.
Lee County Meals On Wheels home modification inspection.
Lee County Meals On Wheels volunteers are certainly overachievers. In addition to their namesake delivered meals, the accompanying companionship, pet support, and the above-noted in-home safety initiatives. Meals On Wheels has a home modification inspection tool specially designed for a Meals on Wheels staff member or volunteer to inspect meal recipients’ homes for potential updates to address safety, functionality, and accessibility concerns. We have included a link to the tool below if you would like to evaluate your own home.
What if you need more support that Meals On Wheels Provides?
If you need more support than is provided by Meals On Wheels (as many local seniors do) it is easy to find additional support. Just call Abby Services at 239-590-0861. Here is a listing of some of the services a caregiver referred by Abby Services can provide.
Together with Lee County Meals On Wheels you can have a private caregiver who can help your loved one remain independent and in their home.
2 Responses
I need meals on wheels I have dementia and I need a knee replacement can’t walk to go can’t go shopping my husband has COPD and is on oxygen 24 hours a day he can’t shop nor can he cook for me we eat can food food delivered to us food food bank we also have a how goods to the food bank for us
It sounds like you could certainly benefit from meals on wheels. Their contact information is in the post. They are very helpful!