Midlothian Council serves up changes to home meals service
THE home meals service provided by Midlothian Council is to undergo a major overhaul.
The service, which has been operated for many years as meals on wheels, will see the elderly being supplied with frozen prepared meals.
This brings the local authority in line with neighbouring councils, which already offer a frozen meals service.
It is anticipated the new system will come into operation in the summer once the contract is awarded.
Mrs Eibhlin McHugh, head of the council's community care division, explained the change to the home meals service had been in the pipeline for some time.
"It is part of a much broader and wider picture than how people access their meals.
"Midlothian Council is no different from any other council – it is facing fairly significant challenges in terms of growth in numbers of older people in the population.
"We are responsible to provide services to support these people."
Full story in this week's Advertiser. On sale now.
Add your comments below. There will be no compromise in nutritional value,” she added.
Prior to switching the service, the council’s clients’ relation officer surveyed those who used the meals on wheels service to find out their needs. “This new service is the preference of the majority of individuals,” said Mrs McHugh. “They were given a choice between the existing service and a potentially different service. The majority chose the new service.”
The council was concerned the change of service could leave clients socially isolated. “We went through everyone who received meals on wheels and looked at what social contact each individual had and whether people were receiving other services.
“We looked at what contact they had on a weekly basis with family, neighbours and other people in the community. We didn’t find anyone who didn’t have regular weekly social contact. That was very reassuring for ourselves. We know and recognise the importance of social contact for an individual’s well-being.”
Mrs McHugh said the anticipated saving to the council by changing the service was “not huge”. “The key is about the flexibility of the new service rather than any financial saving to the council,” she added.
There will be implications for kitchen staff who were employed during school holidays to prepare the meals on wheels. She added that “every effort” would be made under the council’s deployment policy to support them to access other employment or some would have the opportunity to change the number of weeks they work.
Councillor Jackie Aitchison, the council’s social work spokesman, said: “This new service will provide meals for older people that are nutritious and convenient because they can be eaten at a time that suits the recipient. Similar schemes have already been introduced in other local authorities and have been well received.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
