Nutrition Programs Renewed for the New Year 12/08/2010
TOMS RIVER - A warm nutritious meal delivered with a friendly smile and a caring heart can be a lifeline for the elderly living in Ocean County.
"Making certain our seniors receive proper nutrition in addition to having contact with caring individuals is a priority of the Board of Chosen Freeholders," said Ocean County Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari, who serves as chairman of Senior Services. "In order to make sure these programs continue to provide the benefits they do we are awarding six contracts to continue our congregate meals, and home delivered meals programs, social support services and the chronic disease management program.
"These programs are a integral part of our senior program network and the action we take today will make certain our elderly residents will be taken care of in the New Year," Vicari said.
The six contracts, totaling $2,541,262 are expected to be awarded to Community Services Inc. of Lakewood during the Dec. 15 meeting of the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
"Community Services, Inc. plans to provide over 68,000 congregate meals and 220,000 home delivered meals in 2011," Vicari said.
The cost of the congregate meal contract is $782,173 and the home delivered meal contract totals $1,250,507 for 2011. In addition to the meals, nutrition education and nutrition counseling is provided to both congregate and home delivered meals participants.
"Under this program, we don't just deliver a meal – that is the first step," Vicari said. "We also deliver a network of services stressing to the participants the importance of eating right, exercising both body and mind, in order to continue to live independently."
Community Services, Inc. will also provide Social Support Services such as outreach, benefits screening, transportation, language translation and others to at least 3,000 older adults totaling about 42,000 units of service. The contract for those services totals $478,749.
And, Ocean County will enter into a contract with Community Services, Inc. for the expansion of the Chronic Disease Self Management Program. The amount of the contract is $29,834.
"The average age for a congregate meals participants is 84-years-old therefore, providing an evidence-based health education program such as the Chronic Disease Self Management Program will help to support individuals in their goal of remaining independent," Vicari said. "All of these programs and services provide a host of benefits to our older adults in Ocean County. Good nutrition, proper exercise and socialization are vital to a long and healthy life."
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