This page is available as a factsheet 
(86KB - pdf help).
Eating well is an important factor in maintaining good health. If you have difficulty preparing or cooking meals and you do not have a friend, relative or neighbour available to help, here are some suggestions you may like to consider:
For more information contact Care Direct on 0845 1551 007 who will be able to provide you with lists of services and agencies in your area. If your difficulty is going out to shop for food or with other aspects of your daily life, please tell us, we may be able to suggest ways to help.
You may be eligible for Community Meals (formally known as Meals on Wheels)
To find out if you are eligible to have meals delivered please read our factsheet FS1 Assessment and Fair Access to Care or contact Care Direct on 0845 1551 007. We carefully consider each request for support and we must give priority to people with the greatest need.
Frozen Meals
If you are eligible for community meals we can arrange the delivery of appetising, nutritious, frozen meals fortnightly. Both hot and frozen meals.are provided by our preferred supplier, Apetito. Any frozen meals are delivered to clients by Devon Maid / Wiltshire Farm Foods on Apetito’s behalf. You will be given a useful information pack about the service.
You can choose from a range of main courses and desserts which you can heat up and serve yourself. The minimum delivery is eight meals so please make sure you have enough room in your freezer. If you do not have a freezer, a small, table top one can be lent to you. You will also need an oven or microwave to heat the meals or a servotherm heating device can be provided. You will be shown how to use the equipment safely.
Perhaps you need a special diet for health reasons (for example, diabetic, low potassium or gluten free), or for cultural and religious reasons. Such needs can be catered for as long as advance notice is given.
You will be told on which day your meals will be delivered. It is important that you are at home as the meals must be put in the freezer immediately – your delivery person can help you.
Hot Meals
If you are eligible for community meals but are not able to re-heat them safely, a hot, two course meal can be delivered to you at lunchtime, or other arrangements can be made to make sure you receive a meal.
How much do community meals cost and how do you pay?
Charges for meals are fixed by Devon County Council each year. Charges from April 2007 are:
For home delivered meals you will receive an account, you can settle this by cheque or payment by direct debit can be arranged. The account can also be settled by cash or cheque with the delivery driver, who will issue you with a receipt.
If you attend a Luncheon Club the charge for your meal will be £3.60 and you pay for the meal when you receive it.
What if you are going away or want to change your order?
We will give you a telephone number to ring in case you want to change your order or the delivery date.
It is important you tell the delivery people a few days in advance if you are not going to be at home. If you are expecting a frozen meals delivery, this can be arranged for a different day.
If your delivery person cannot get a response when they call, they will be concerned about your safety and must inform the local office. After making further enquiries the Manager, as a last resort, will alert the emergency services. They would not wish to do this unless absolutely necessary, so please keep them informed.
If you are unhappy with the meals
We are confident that you will enjoy your meals but if you are not satisfied or have a problem relating to the person delivering them, you should contact the supplier initially to try and resolve the matter. Or you can make a complaint by contacting Care Direct on 0845 1551 007. If you are not happy with a frozen meal, please keep the container and foil as the meal can be more easily identified from the serial number. Further details on making a complaint can be found in the information pack that will be given to you when you start to receive community meals.
Finally don’t forget, to maintain good health you need to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day too!
Back to top