Meal delivery services for homebound Lorain County seniors adapt to the times

SHEFFIELD LAKE, LORAIN — Some local groups that deliver meals to homebound seniors are seeing big increases in the number of people they are serving as the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the amount of interaction they regularly have with their clients. To Lauren Ksiazek, executive director of the Lorain County Office on Aging, there is a definite correlation between the virus and the increased number of seniors seeking her organization's meal delivery service. "Right now, we have over 150 seniors on our list," she said. "I think this time last year, we had around 100. That tells you that we have seen a drastic increase in need." The Office on Aging receives funding from multiple sources but uses volunteers to deliver its hot meals three days per week. The agency's northeast office — which Ksiazek was speaking of — serves Sheffield, Sheffield Lake, Avon and Avon Lake. They have a similar program in parts of southern Lorain County. Enough food is included over the three deliveries to account for five meals. Because many of the volunteers who drive the meal-delivery routes are also advanced in years, Ksiazek said some have been hesitant to continue working, due to their own concerns about contracting or spreading COVID-19. She described the choice to either stop delivering or continue through the pandemic as a truly personal decision. For those who are powering through, safety measures were put in place to protect both them and the seniors inside the homes. "We are doing what we call a contactless delivery," Ksiazek said. "... What they do is they leave the meal hanging on the doorknob and then they step away and they go back to their car. But then they have to visually see the client, they can wave through the window or wave through the door. But they have to visually see the client receive the meal because we can't just leave food unattended." Masks and gloves are also required for volunteers. Another local organization that offers a similar service is the Neighborhood Alliance, which delivers meals to just about all areas in Lorain County that the Office on Aging's program does not cover. Their roster of seniors receiving the meals has more than doubled, from 260 people before the pandemic to 560 now, said president and CEO Alicia Foss. "I think everybody is trying to serve as many people as we possibly can right now, especially with the senior population being so affected by COVID," she said. Neighborhood Alliance uses paid staff to deliver the meals rather than volunteers, and they are also doing contactless deliveries. Seniors are asked to give a thumbs up or thumbs down through the window to indicate if they have everything they need inside. Longer wellness checks are then conducted over a phone call later rather than face-to-face during the delivery, Foss said. It's safer that way, but the direct personal interaction is something the clients miss most. "The home delivered meals is more than a meal. It's that safety check, it's that connection you make with that volunteer," Ksiazek said. "And a lot of our volunteers have developed friendships and relationships with the clients, and right now, they can't have that." The Office on Aging is seeking additional volunteers. Anyone interested should call the office at (440) 949-8146. Homebound seniors in their service area can inquire about the home delivered meals at (440) 326-4800. Neighborhood Alliance is also accepting more seniors who need their food delivery service, based on need. There is a waitlist that Foss said the organization is looking to work through quickly. The office can be reached at (440) 233-8768. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.