Home Delivery for Groceries, Medications, and Meals
Many major grocery chains have instituted home delivery of groceries. The order is placed online and delivered the next day. There is usually a delivery fee of about $10, but with the price of gasoline today, unless you live quite near your parents, that delivery fee can be reasonable in the face of your time, gasoline, and efforts.
You have to plan ahead, as the delivery is the next day, and it may not work for all of your parents' needs. In most cases, a brand name and size can be stipulated. There is usually a comment section for specifying such things as ripeness, size, and color variations for things such as fresh fruits and vegetables. This may be a hit-or-miss proposition, but it is worth trying. Unless your parents are computer savvy, you may have to assist them in setting up this order. They may be able to handle subsequent orders, or you may have to do this for them.
This could be a job delegated to a sibling who lives out of town, as the ordering can be done on the Internet and the store located by zip code. Your parents could call or e-mail their shopping list and your sibling takes care of ordering. A recurrent list can be organized for staples and paper goods that need periodic ordering and other items added as needed for the week's shopping.
Of course, many older people have grown accustomed to shopping every day or every other day, and getting into a mode of weekly or biweekly shopping can be a challenge. A $10 delivery fee every other day can be a little wasteful. Organization is a key element to handling more than one household, and everyone has to make some concessions to make it work.
Medications
Medications can be set up for home delivery as well. Many HMO medical plans, including Medicare Senior HMOs and standard Medicare drug plans, offer mail-order pharmacy plans that fill prescriptions for ninety days at a price savings and deliver the medications via mail or other delivery services such as UPS. Many small pharmacies offer delivery services for prescriptions as well. A search of the local phone book will usually provide you with this information.
Again, organization is key. Mail-order medications require seven to ten business days to complete and deliver. You can't wait until the bottle is empty to call for a refill. Local-delivery pharmacies may require two to three business days for delivery as well. Be prepared; mail-order pharmacies usually have a phone-in line as well as Internet access for ordering refills. This, too, can be delegated to another family member.
It is important to get the ordering physician or practitioner to order the maximum supply, such as a ninety-day supply, to maximize the cost effectiveness of these pharmacies. Use a local pharmacy first for new prescriptions to be sure they are effective and don't cause side effects. Once it is determined this medication will be used long term, the mail-order option becomes more cost effective.
Meals to Go
Home delivery of meals can be provided in a number of ways. Senior services in most communities have a meals-on-wheels program where volunteers deliver a hot meal at noon along with a sandwich or other similar meal that doesn't require much preparation for dinner. These meals are usually delivered Monday through Friday and not on holidays.
The meals are usually prepared by volunteers or staff in a senior-center kitchen under the direction of a dietitian. Most meals will meet the dietary needs of the general senior population, and some services make special meals for low-sodium or diabetic needs.
There is a fee schedule, and sometimes a sliding scale is available for those who cannot afford it.
Remember that inclement weather conditions can interfere with delivery, so alternative solutions need to be considered and in place. Alternative solutions can include occasional delivery from local restaurants such as pizza, Chinese food, and other take-out/delivery food services. However, if the weather is the issue, they may not be delivering either.
Be aware there can be a waiting list for these home-delivery programs. Be prepared to make alternative arrangements until services can begin. They depend on volunteer drivers, and in areas of high demand, waiting lists can be quite long.
In large metropolitan areas, there are some high-end food-delivery programs, and some that provide frozen prepared meals that can be delivered weekly or monthly. Personal chefs and other food-preparation alternatives are also a possibility. Again, turn to your local community college, or perhaps a local culinary school, to determine if a student might be willing to cook for your parents. Even periodically cooking large volumes of meals that can be frozen and reheated is something to think about.
