EDITORIAL: NATIONAL Meals on Wheels Day is celebrated annually on the last Wednesday in August. This yearly celebration recognises the work of an estimated 78,700 volunteers at more than 740 branches around the country.
In Queensland, the charity’s 15,000 volunteers provide 1.9 million meals annually to more than 10,000 people. The organisation was borne of the London Blitz when many people lost their homes to the regular bombing raids and were unable to prepare meals. The movement came to Australia in the early 1950s and has remained a stalwart in the community ever since.
In addition to meals, the service also provides a ‘well being check’, monitoring the physical and psychological state of recipients.
It also aims to focus on social cohesiveness, strengthening communities by having locals helping other locals.
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The organisation has long spearheaded the movement to support older peoples’ desire to remain in their own homes, but volunteers keep a careful eye on them.
“If one of our customers is showing any physical or psychological decline, our ‘duty of care’ acts as an alert system,” the Meals on Wheels website states.
“Early intervention often prevents falls and or hospitalisation.”
The organisation also acts as a watchdog.
“It’s worth considering that one night in hospital costs approximately $1000 and the cost of a fall is upwards of $90,000. In the UK, after cost cutting to local governments, there has been a dramatic decline in the number of people receiving meals from 75,885 in 2010/2011 to 29,605 in 2013/14.
“During the same period there was a 34.2 per cent increase in hospital admissions due to malnutrition. Increasingly, the evidence is pointing to the fact that this kind of governmental cost shifting is counter-productive.”
Join a local service by contacting Jimboomba Meals on Wheels on 5547 9797 or the Logan service (pictured) on 3800 5263.
