There’s a growing demand in the Tri-State for services like Meals on Wheels, which delivers food to seniors.
Jennifer Steele with Meals on Wheels said older adults are much more susceptible to heat-related illnesses and heat exhaustion.
“It's really difficult and dangerous when temperatures are this high or the air quality is not good for them to be out and about,” Steele said. “It increases isolation and loneliness, which we know so many older adults are already experiencing.”
Steele said their services become even more critical when temperatures reach the 90s.
“We're doing so much more than just providing them food, which is really critical of course,” she said. “We're providing some companionship and a wellness check to make sure that they're safe. And that's so important for older adults during the heat like this.”
Steele recommends people check on their elderly family members or neighbors this week.
“Just knock on the door or make a phone call. We know that we're often the only people that a lot of the seniors we serve see over the course of a week, and we're only there maybe one day,” Steele said. “So, if you can check on people on those other days and just make sure that they're doing okay, it could save a life certainly.”
During the pandemic, the demand for Meals on Wheels’ services tripled.
“We were delivering as many meals in a week as we typically did in a month. I'd say now we're still at about a 50% increase,” Steele said. “We deliver 4,000 meals a week right now to seniors across 12 counties in Ohio and Kentucky”
Meals On Wheels has also been hit hard by the rising cost of food. Steele said in some cases, their food costs have gone up by 50%. They drive over 80,000 miles a month, so the high gas prices have also had a dramatic impact.
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