“When driving a car, taking public transportation or navigating your community becomes unsafe or just too uncomfortable, a once-active person can get cut off from the social connections that we all need to thrive. As mobility wanes, our worlds get smaller. Society moves faster than we do, ultimately passing us by and leaving us behind. Soon our home may become the stage for most of our living, which can set us up for isolation and loneliness, sometimes at profound levels. This loneliness not only deteriorates our wellbeing, but it can shave years off our lives.
That’s why the warm hello and conversation that accompany the Meals on Wheels meal delivery is a vital lifeline that keeps homebound seniors heathy and alive.
Richard Gere, whose family has a long history as Meals on Wheels supporters, puts it this way.
“We are such completely social beings that when we don’t have a network of social interactions we deteriorate very, very quickly. All of us. It’s the human interactions that ultimately make us feel that we are of value on this planet.”
