Objectives

 CONGREGATE MEALS

Objective: To provide eligible persons with low-cost nutritionally sound meals in a strategically located and appropriate congregate setting. The meals will comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and will meet the current specified 33 1/3% of the Dietary Reference Intake/Adequate Intakes (DRI/AI) for moderately active 70+ females as established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences – National Research Council. The provision of congregate meals to older adults will promote better health through improved nutrition, will reduce the isolation of old age through socialization, and offer older persons the opportunity to live their remaining years in dignity. By sustaining nutritional requirements and a social network, holistic needs are often met resulting in the stabilization or improvement of the participants’ physical, mental, social and economic status.

HOME DELIVERED MEALS

OBJECTIVE: -To provide hot or other appropriate nutritionally sound HOME DELIVERED MEALS (that comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and meet the current specified 33 1/3% of the Dietary Reference Intake/Adequate Intakes (DRI/AI) for moderately active 70+ females as established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences – National Research Council) to eligible homebound clientele in their homes within the designated service area. Home Delivered Meal Service will provide homebound, frail older persons living alone or with others in need of meal preparation assistance, particularly those in greatest economic and health risk, with low cost, nutritionally balanced meals served in their homes. Besides promoting better health among the older segment of our population through improved nutrition, the provision of home delivered meals is aimed at keeping the individual in his own home, rather than in an institution, thus offering older persons the opportunity to achieve greater independence, both in meal preparation and in the activities of daily living.

NUTRITION EDUCATION

OBJECTIVE: -To provide a formal program of scheduled meetings for the senior center's Nutrition Education Program clientele and newsletters for the homebound clientele, to make available facts about the kinds and amounts of foods that are required to meet one's daily nutritional needs. Additionally, limited, informal, individual counseling will be available from the project's dietician to further the homebound and senior center clients' understanding of nutritionally balanced meals to match their particular dietary needs.

The Nutrition Education service will attempt to improve the nutritional intake of older persons through better eating habits by making them aware of the relative nutrition value of different food groups. Nutrition education is offered in support of self-improvement or maintenance of the clients' individual health and wellness. In addition, the offering of nutrition education services will enable clients to obtain maximum nutritional benefits from expenditures for food, instruction in the preparation of nutritionally balanced meals, and assistance in the development of special diets required by health or social conditions.

SCREENING & ASSESSMENT

OBJECTIVE:-To administer standard screening assessment instruments, for the purpose of gathering information about an applicant or a current client to determine their need and/or eligibility for services provided by this provider or another. Referral and follow-up will be provided on an individual basis as warranted. Those requiring more in-depth assessment, service coordination and follow-up will be referred to the appropriate OAA case management agency. This provider will continue to actively seek to reach the target group individuals (those 60 years of age and over, frail, homebound, economically, physically or socially disadvantaged, potentially at risk, co-dependent and self-sufficient older persons) and assist them to access services, either with this agency or some other, to meet a variety of needs to maintain or improve their personal living status and health.

TRANSPORTATION

OBJECTIVE: -To provide travel assistance to or from the Miami Springs Senior Center, the clients' residence, and other community resources. The provision of Transportation Services will assure the continued mobility of older persons thereby helping to maintain their independence and delaying or preventing physical or mental deterioration and inappropriate institutionalization. The transportation service is intended to assure the continued mobility of existing clientele and other older citizens meeting eligibility requirements without prejudice of their physical impairments, residential location or social-economics-ethnic status.