Dealing with the basic necessities of daily living can be a challenge to an aging senior, most especially that of eating properly. In Greenwich, there are a number of organizations that can make this task easier. For some seniors it may be as simple as having a volunteer marketing companion or going on line to place a grocery order. For others who are housebound, there are organizations that will bring groceries and/or cooked meals directly to their home. Still other organizations provide nutritious, cooked meals outside the home in a setting that brings seniors together and fosters socialization.
Take a look at the following six agencies here in Greenwich that respond to this need. You will find that there are several choices that will enable senior adults to enjoy their ongoing independence both inside and outside their homes.
Eating In
Meals on Wheels, an independent nonprofit agency that prepares and delivers meals to Greenwich residents at home, is a welcome resource for anyone, regardless of age, who may be temporarily or permanently disabled, or recuperating from an illness or operation. Board member Corrine Richardson says a common senior client scenario is a couple with one spouse incapacitated and the other a caregiver. Other typical senior users of the service include recently widowed men for whom the kitchen is still "foreign territory." Professionally-prepared meals are delivered by volunteer drivers between the hours of 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $8 per day for two meals (one hot, one cold).
Peapod.com, an online grocery delivery service, is another resource for elderly people who may have difficulty getting to the supermarket or carrying their purchases into the house. Orders are placed on the website (there is a $50 minimum order), and the groceries are then packed by "personal shoppers" and delivered during a date/time window selected by the client. The delivery charge varies from a high of $9.95 for orders from $50-75 to a low of $4.95 for orders over $100. Payment can be by credit card or by check at the door; tipping is optional, but welcome.
Use of this service presupposes some skill in the use of the computer by the client, their family or a friend, but once an initial order has been placed, the system becomes increasingly easy to use, as it "remembers" prior orders and compiles a list of items the customer is likely to want on subsequent visits to the website.
The Jewish Family Services, established in 1986 as a nondiscriminatory human services agency, has a supermarketing program for Greenwich seniors over age 60. A volunteer either does the supermarketing for a homebound senior or takes the senior to the supermarket on a continuing basis at no charge. Many referrals to this program come from Greenwich Hospital or Greenwich Social Services Department. A home visit is scheduled with the prospective client, and then Phyllis McDonald, the Program Coordinator, matches the client with a shopper.
About one hundred people are helped on a weekly basis by approximately thirty-five shoppers, half of whom are volunteers. Comments by grateful clients and family members range from "Many thanks for the wonderful lady you have sent to me. She has been a treasure. If you give out awards for service rendered, she should be tops on the list!" to "I am happy to have been able to honor [my mother's] wish to remain in her own home until the very end. Marketing for Seniors was certainly a big help in achieving that objective. It is a wonderful program both in concept and execution."
Since 1975, Neighbor to Neighbor, an independent, non-profit organization, has distributed food and clothing to people recommended to them by the Department of Social Services. Enough food for three meals a day for three days is provided. The people either come in to collect the food or, if housebound, the food is delivered by someone from the Department of Social Services. Chairwoman Sandy Motland said that Neighbor to Neighbor has worked with a nutritionist to come up with the best mix of food. The majority of it consists of non-perishables, such as pasta, spaghetti sauce, soups and cereals, supplemented with canned vegetables and fruits. Very often local stores will pass on extra fresh fruits and fresh bread. This organization feeds over 450 people a month.
Eating Out
The Greenwich Hospital Weekend Lunch Bunch is a program of low-cost meals served in the cafeteria for Greenwich residents over the age of 55 with senior ID. On weekends between noon and 2 p.m., a typical meal consisting of choice of soup or salad, followed by choice of entree such as baked stuffed chicken or veal-and-peppers, costs only $5. There is a Senior Menu telephone line (863-3690) to call in advance to find out what's on the menu.
The cafeteria attracts its "regulars," for whom weekend lunches become a pleasant social occasion, according to Tony Como, director of hospitality services for Greenwich Hospital. The cafeteria is also popular with seniors for weekday evening meals, he adds, when a Senior Lunch Bunch ID card (available there) entitles the bearer to a discount of 30% on most items.
Located on Greenwich Avenue, the Greenwich Senior Center provides a cooked meal Monday to Friday to Greenwich seniors who are members of the Center. Any Greenwich resident over fifty-five years can be a member; there is no fee but a membership card is issued. For many seniors, this is their main meal of the day. Lauretta Helmrich, Administrator at the Center, says the meal also provides a time for socializing and for meeting new friends. The meals are provided for a nominal charge, and pre-paid coupon packets are available.