November

Wintalyka Issue 4 / 2012
Food for thought in greater demand for meal
delivery
Daily Liberal Friday 26/10/12 page 2
by Lisa Ninner
More than 100 meals per day have been distributed from Meals on Wheels kitchen to Dubbo
clients this week.
Meals on Wheels Manager Peter English said in the two years he had been employed with the
organisation it was the first time he had seen meals exceed the one hundred mark. On Monday
104 meals were distributed around the city.
“When I started here we were sitting around 80 meals or so a per day” Mr English said. He said
rising numbers unusual for October - with the winter they generally increased, not on approaching
summer. A bigger awareness of the nutritional benefits of a hot meal was one of the reasons Mr
English said numbers may have grown. He also suggested the increase could be reflective of
greater need in the in the community. “I think more people are requiring assistance,” he said. “the
clients to a large extent are probably relying on the community a bit more and not themselves as
much.”
Mr English said it was his belief that the number of people requiring meals would continue to
increase even more in the future. He said the ageing baby-boomer population with properties in
places like Walgett, Nyngan and Bourke would potentially be looking to move to Dubbo for access
to better medical facilities. “ People are living longer now and continuing to stay in their homes
longer - they are considering the costs of nursing homes and aged care” he said. “Getting into
nursing homes is also a big issue at the moment with huge waiting lists. What are these people
doing in the meantime? They are hitting a brick wall because they can’t get in anywhere. “These
people are realising that if they want to stay in their homes a little longer they will need some
assistance.”
For more information on Meals on Wheels go to www.mealsonwheels.org.au
Douglas Porter, Peter English and Natasha Ireland.
nswmealsonwheels.org.au 39