Lutheran Social Service (LSS) received a $1,000 grant from the United Way to provide low-income, high-risk seniors in the Crookston area with high quality, nutritionally balanced meals. The overall goal was to improve their health; thus, allowing them to maintain their independence and enhancing their quality of life.
“We’d like to thank Lutheran Social Service for all that they do to serve nutritionally balance meals for seniors in the Crookston area,” said the Crookston United Way’s executive director Lori Wagner. “They served over 3,905 meals to 22 home-delivered meal clients.”
Over 74 percent of the seniors receiving meals live on very limited or fixed incomes, 84 percent are at high risk and 12 percent are at moderate risk for developing serious life-threatening nutritional deficiencies. Without the daily hot meal and safety check that their service provided, many of these frail seniors would not have been able to continue living in their homes.
LSS recently asked Crookston area meal recipients to complete a satisfaction survey which revealed the following results:
– 78% of seniors surveyed considered these meals to be their main meal of the day.
– 86% of seniors surveyed said they felt that the meals helped to maintain or improve their health.
– 99% of seniors surveyed said they felt that the meals helped them (or make it easier) to remain living independently in their own homes.
– 98% of seniors surveyed said they would recommend LSS Senior Dining to a Friend.
Throughout the year LSS receives feedback from the seniors and their loved ones that solidifies their belief that the service they provide to seniors in the Crookston area helps to enrich and enhance the quality of life.
Wagner shared the following story about an LSS client in the Crookston area, “Jeanette (not her real name) is a 69-year-old lady who lives in the Crookston area. Several months ago, she began experiencing dizzy spells which had caused her to fall several times. Her daughter was very concerned and insisted that she visit her Doctor. Jeanette was diagnosed with hypoglycemia and was suffering from depression. Her doctor felt that her low blood sugar was related to her not eating regular meals. He suggested that she start going receiving meals on wheels. Within a few weeks of eating the nutritionally balanced meals, her energy and moods improved, and she no longer was having the dizzy spells. Her daughter says that she is so glad that her Mom was willing to try the meals. She told us – ‘we are so grateful for this program, now I don’t worry about Mom getting a good healthy meal every day.”
