How will coronavirus affect homebound adults who need Meals on Wheels, senior services?
Two weeks ago, Durham Meals on Wheels ordered enough food for 5,600 shelf-stable meals — canned soups, pasta, peanut butter and powdered milk — in case the COVID-19 virus kept spreading.
The nonprofit agency also stocked up on frozen meals and contacted food banks about having bags of fresh food available for the 560 Durham seniors and disabled adults who count on someone bringing them a hot meal and checking in on them each day.
They’re not the only local agency making contingency plans for one of the most vulnerable populations faced with the coronavirus. Cary Senior Center in Wake County announced Wednesday that is closing and canceling programs and classes until further notice. The town of Morrisville also announced it would immediately suspend all senior programs and trips.
“Older adults are really worried about this and they’re asking our staff at our different locations, but also our social workers who come out into their homes, ‘What do you think I should be doing, and are you going to come see me next week?’” said Kristen Brannock, president of Resources for Seniors in Wake County.
Resources for Seniors serves roughly 22,000 seniors and disabled adults each year through nursing homes, adult daycares, in-home aid and other services, and also works with community partners like Meals on Wheels.
“I think what’s happening is people are becoming aware it’s not just a virus out there, but that it’s really going to potentially impact their lives,” Brannock said.
Both Orange and Wake counties say they are seeing fewer seniors visiting their senior centers for meals and programs. Duke University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, or OLLI, announced Tuesday that spring semester classes have been canceled.
So far, seven people in North Carolina have tested positive for COVID-19, including five Biogen employees who attended a Boston conference. The patients have been isolated.
Preparing for COVID-19
N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency Tuesday, and state officials have urged people to skip big gatherings, such as concerts and conferences, especially if they’re in a high-risk group.
UNC Health Care is setting up triage tents outside its facilities, where people can come and be screened for COVID-19.
The coronavirus largely affects the respiratory system and causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough and shortness of breath. CDC officials have said the greatest risk is to people over 60 and those with serious medical conditions. Older adults who are in generally good health also can take precautions, CDC officials said.
Those concerns prompted Duke’s OLLI program to suspend classes from March 14 to May 15 “out of an abundance of concern and caution for lifelong learners, as well as staff and instructors,” provost Sally Kornbluth announced Tuesday.
People who have paid for their class will receive full credit for a future class, and fees paid for activities, including workshops, movies and tours will be refunded, program director Chris McLeod said in an email to students.
“We encourage you to stay connected to friends and family to avoid the negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness,” McLeod said. “We’ll be exploring other ways to keep us all connected through a Common Read (a book everyone could read like the Duke First Year students), TED talks and other resources that we hope to share via email in the next few weeks.”
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Wake, Durham food, home care
The focus in Wake County is on putting contingency plans in place to meet seniors’ basic needs, such as food and housing, especially if a local care center is shut down or employees or volunteers are affected, Brannock said.
Food and home care are considered essential services, which allows Meals on Wheels volunteers to keep making deliveries to clients even when everyone else is under travel restrictions, said Gayle Adland, executive director of Meals on Wheels Durham. Those services could be severely restricted, however, if the regular contact homebound seniors have with volunteers and aid workers bringing daily meals becomes too risky.
“We’re hoping it won’t ever come to us having to deliver that (shelf-stable food), but from the reading that we have done and what the CDC has said and the Health Department, our seniors are in the group for whom this has proven to be most fatal,” Adland said.
The additional food stocked at Meals on Wheels Durham was an unexpected, $20,000 expense, and they are relying on donations to pay the bill, she said. The bigger challenge will be delivering those meals if needed.
Adland noted that volunteers are organized and ready, and will be able to follow up daily with clients by phone if the two-week food supply has to be distributed. But volunteers who typically deliver 10 or 15 meals a day in their personal vehicles would have to find a way to transport 10 times that amount in a single day if the emergency plan is implemented.
Local, state planning underway
COVID-19 was a hot topic at the statewide Meals on Wheels conference last week in Wilmington, Adland said.
Local agencies are monitoring daily updates from a variety of state departments, said Alan Winstead, executive director of Meals on Wheels Wake County. Both his agency and the Orange County Department on Aging were finalizing their plans Tuesday for a potentially widespread outbreak.
Orange County serves 120 meals a day between the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill and the Passmore Center in Hillsborough, said spokeswoman Beverly Shuford. The department is working with the county’s Health Department and Emergency Services, as well as community partners to plan for any eventuality, she said.
The senior centers are continuing to offer activities and a noon lunch program, Orange County officials said Tuesday evening. Shuford noted that senior center staff are wiping down surfaces.
The number of seniors coming for a meal at both centers already is down because people are choosing to stay at home, she said.
If it becomes necessary to drop off a longer-term supply of food, Norma White with the Orange County Rural Alliance, or OCRA, said the county has shelf-stable food available and more has been ordered.
Meals on Wheels Chapel Hill-Carrboro normally serves 160 to 180 people five days a week, but on Friday will deliver a hot meal, five frozen meals, fresh fruit and dessert to its clients, said executive director Rachel Berman. They will check in with each client by phone during the week and follow up next Friday with another delivery of five frozen meals, she said.
OCRA and Meals on Wheels Chapel Hill-Carrboro are coordinating their response and will merge July 1 to serve the whole county. Orange Congregations in Mission, which operates a food pantry and other programs, will continue to serve the Hillsborough area.
Tips for seniors, high-risk adults
The CDC has recommended that older adults and those at higher risk for COVID-19 complications:
▪ Stock up on supplies, such as food, household items, and prescription and over-the-counter medications
▪ Stay home as much as possible to avoid being infected
▪ Avoid crowds, family events, and going out to see a movie or shopping
▪ Limit close contact with others, especially if they are sick
▪ Avoid traveling on cruise ships and planes, if possible
If you or someone else is sick
The CDC has advised people, especially those 65 and older or who have chronic health conditions to:
▪ Avoid close contact with people who are sick
▪ Cough or sneeze into a tissue, and throw the tissue in the trash
▪ Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
▪ Clean and disinfect your home and objects that you touch frequently
▪ Stay home if you are sick and don’t need medical care
▪ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
▪ Self-quarantine for 14 days if you have traveled to an area affected by COVID-19 to ensure you don’t develop symptoms
“If you suspect that you may have COVID-19, seek medical care right away,” Orange County officials said in a news release. “Before you go to visit your medical provider, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.”
The CDC has recommended calling a doctor if you develop a fever, cough and shortness of breath. Get immediate help if you have trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure, confusion or “bluish lips or face,” they said.
Health, safety a community priority
While many Meals on Wheels programs deliver catered meals or meals donated by local restaurants and groups, Wake County’s program prepares food in an on-site kitchen, giving it more control over the production process and cleanliness standards, Winstead said.
They’ve also put a protocol in place for staff and volunteers to self-check any signs of illness and let staff know if they’ve traveled to a city or country with a high number of cases, Winstead said.
“In our day-to-day operations, health and safety are always our top priorities, because we’re handling food and we’re working with a vulnerable population,” he said.
Winstead emphasized the need for monetary donations and more volunteers. One of their corporate partners in Wake County told its employees this week to limit all volunteer work, he said. Berman, with Meals on Wheels Chapel Hill-Carrboro, said nearly three-quarters of their volunteers are over age 65 and some have decided to stop volunteering until the COVID-19 threat subsides.
People interested in volunteering a couple of hours a day Monday through Friday with their local Meals on Wheels agency or making a donation can find more information online at:
▪ Meals on Wheels Durham: mowdurham.org
▪ Meals on Wheels Wake County: wakemow.org
▪ Meals on Wheels Chapel Hill-Carrboro: chcmow.org
Another way of being a volunteer in your own neighborhood, Winstead said, is by looking out for the people around you.
“People can really just check on their neighbors and people who are elderly and who are at risk — especially if we are more and more isolated — just make sure they check on their neighbors and relatives and friends,” Winstead said. “That might help the community response.”
This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 6:56 PM.
