November: Meals on Wheels Card | News and Features

The new map could prove a valuable resource to help ease the pressure on social care systems in all four UK countries.

Meals on Wheels services provide meals alongside home care and essential social contacts and are provided by councils, other local organizations and local and national private providers. These services can be vital for adults who need support, including older people, adults with disabilities and people with poor physical and mental health who have difficulty accessing and preparing food.

In the UK, Meals on Wheels services are typically provided locally, regionally or nationally by hundreds of different providers, rather than being controlled by a central national organization.

Dr. Angeliki PapadakiAssociate Professor of Public Health, noted that, remarkably, until now there had been no central information list of Meals on Wheels services in the UK.

Dr Papadaki and her research team from the University of Bristol School of Policy Studies have been painstakingly conducting research since 2021, collecting contact details and service characteristics of Meals on Wheels providers in all four countries of the UK.

The team used this information to develop a new interactive map, launching today (Thursday 7 November), which will allow people in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to simply enter their postcode and see the available Meals on Wheels delivery services in their area. .

A freely available map will be posted on the new Food on the Wheels UK websitewhich will serve as a focal point for anyone wanting to find out more about Meals on Wheels services in the UK.

It is hoped that the map will become an invaluable resource for people with elderly and vulnerable family and friends who could benefit from Meals on Wheels services, as well as professionals working in healthcare such as GPs, hospital discharge teams and rehabilitation, as well as groups to assess the needs of social services and care.

The map can help Mees on Wheels service providers connect with each other and reach more people who need their services, and help local authorities make informed decisions about their services. It can also help identify areas where potential gaps exist in Meals on Wheels provision.

Previous research by Dr Papadaki and her team found high-quality evidence that many people who could potentially benefit from knowledge about Meals on Wheels services may have had difficulty finding relevant information online.

Dr Angeliki Papadaki said: “I’m thrilled that we can launch the new Meals on Wheels UK website and interactive map today. This is an important preventative social care service that can help people continue to live independently in their own homes for longer. With this powerful new map, we hope to improve access to Meals on Wheels services among communities in need. As a result, we believe this will reduce the pressure on social care systems in all four UK countries.”

The Meals on Wheels UK website and map can be accessed for free here:

The work was made possible by a grant from UKRI’s Economic and Social Research Council Impact Accelerating Account.