Going Home Program: Supporting Resiliency for Seniors in our Community

Going home from a hospital stay can be stressful and present challenges, especially if you are still recovering, experiencing mobility issues or worried about how you will shop for groceries and prepare healthy meals for yourself. Home-delivered meals can be one strategy helping to ease the transition back home to independent living, support healthier outcomes for participants, and provide valuable social contact and community support.

Best practices are illustrating the key role that nutrition support can play in strengthening resiliency and improving quality of life for community living older adults. Research is continuing to support the potential of home-delivered meal programs to contribute to the health and independence of older adults living in the community.

Recognizing this, both Calgary and Edmonton launched similar Going Home pilot projects in late 2019, funded by the Government of Alberta’s Aging Well in Community grant program. Locally, Calgary Meals on Wheels has partnered with Alberta Health Services’ Nutrition Services to bring the project to life. Eligible patients are identified in the hospital for referral to the program. Recipients receive short-term, complimentary meal support after hospital discharge. Meals can be modified for special dietary needs.

Now, more than ever, obtaining good nutrition presents even bigger challenges for seniors as we navigate this unprecedented public health emergency related to COVID-19. We have since broadened the scope of this program to provide meal support for more seniors, our most vulnerable Albertans, as they transition home from the hospital, emergency room or rehabilitation centres. Of course, none of this would be possible without our incredible volunteer heroes who are out in the community daily, safely delivering nutrition and social connectiveness to our clients.

Thank you to our funder, Alberta Seniors and Housing’s Aging Well in Community grant program for making this all possible.

Thank you to our local partner, AHS Nutrition Services, for your continued enthusiasm and support with our pilot project.

We are proud to be a part of our community and we know that Together we are Resilient!