Changes to Telford meals on wheels will help people stay in their homes
Changes to the meals on wheels service in Telford will help more people stay in their homes, councillors were told.
Alongside changes to offer hot and frozen food through the same provider, Telford & Wrekin Council will be launching a pilot Good Neighbour service to make sure more vulnerable people are getting daily social interaction.
The existing service has been evaluated by the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee.
They presented their findings to the council's cabinet at their meeting held in the AFC Telford Learning Centre in Wellington.
Chairman of the committee, Councillor Derek White, said: "It is not just the providing meals, it is the daily contact.
"In councils where they have removed hot meals, people have ended up going into care. We could not support that and we would not support that.
"This service keeps people in their homes and they get hot meals provided for the.
"A good neighbour service would be of value to people in the community and help keep people in their homes."
Telford & Wrekin Council is set to change its meals on wheels police so that its hot meals and frozen meals service delivered through the same provider, who would also take on the new good neighbour service, checking on the people who receive the meals.
The cost of the service will also rise from £2.65 to £3.15, following a review of pricing
Councillor Arnold England, cabinet member for adult social care, said prices for the service had not been reviewed for a number of years and the rise would still see it around £1 lower than other councils.
The council currently provides hot and frozen community meals to people living in the borough and has a statutory duty to provide community meals to people who are chronically sick and disabled.
