Linda, a 71 year old, was homeless and living out of her car. She had been scammed by a man who had promised to financially support her, but
A Social Worker from the County of Ventura, who was very concerned for Linda’s health and well-being
helped her find low income housing and connected her with Senior Concerns’ Meals On Wheels program so Linda could receive fresh, healthy meals.
“When we did our home visit with Linda and conducted a Mini Nutrition Assessment we discovered Linda was not only suffering from food insecurity, she was severely malnourished and was living with “prolonged severe sadness,” shares Lisa Weaver, Senior Concerns’ Director of Nutrition Services. “Seeing that her
only after she took out a personal loan and used her credit cards to provide him with money. He took the cash and disappeared.
health was at risk, we acted immediately and provided Linda with a full scholarship and began delivering a hot lunch and light dinner three days per week as she requested.” Linda is also receiving food through CalFresh and her son has a meal with her on Sundays.
In addition to providing meals and helping to reverse Linda’s malnutrition, Senior Concerns has been able to connect Linda with other supportive services, including the Senior Support Line and the Goebel Active Senior Center. “Linda lives alone and has shared that she feels lonely,” Lisa explained. “Both of these programs will help keep Linda engaged and connected with others.”
“The beauty of our Meals On Wheels Program is that, not only are we able to ensure the health of seniors through the delivery of freshly prepared, nutritious meals, through our home visits, we are able to assess other needs the senior may have and help the senior obtain additional supportive services. The daily visits from our drivers also provide a check in and help stave off the loneliness we see in many homebound seniors,” Lisa added. “We are grateful we’ve been able to help Linda get her life back on track and improve her overall health.”
