Grocery shopping assistance for seniors

Access to healthy groceries is essential to take advantage of the myriad of health benefits associated with eating leafy greens, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins. Yet, many older adults don’t live close to a grocery store, are unable to get to the store due to a lack of transportation, or have difficulty finding the resources necessary to buy healthy groceries.  That’s what makes grocery shopping assistance for seniors so important.

In this blog, we’ll identify some of the most common ways that elderly adults can access healthy food, types of grocery assistance that are available, and grocery shopping services that can help provide access to healthy foods as well. ​

How seniors can access healthy groceries & meals

This may sound simple, but one of the easiest ways for seniors to access healthy meals and food is to eat with family members. This is an excellent way to not only access healthy meals when it’s hard for seniors to prepare their own meals, but it also helps with loneliness and social isolation, which are linked to increased health problems and morbidity in seniors. 

Additionally many older adult centers offer free or low-cost meals on a daily basis. The added benefit of social interaction also comes with eating at a senior center, where field trips, games, concerts, and other activities are typically happening on a daily basis. This is an easy way to not only access dairy products and other healthy foods, it gets seniors out of the house and socializing in the outside world, all year round. 

Even still, many homebound seniors are unable to get out to senior centers, or feel like a burden asking family members to prepare and invite them over for healthy meals that meet their dietary needs. In many instances, a  personal care service or caregiver can help. Many home care agencies provide grocery shopping assistance and meal preparation as part of their services, picking up necessary food items and preparing meals for older people who need the extra help. 

Senior helpers, professional caregivers, whatever you call them, these caring individuals can help prepare nutritious food and take over the everyday tasks associated with eating a healthy diet. Some caregivers can even take seniors to farmers markets and on other errands, adding another level of social interaction. In many instances, then, grocery assistance not only helps with physical health, but supports emotional and mental health as well. 

Lastly, oftentimes a local food bank offers fresh produce, breakfast cereals, and other healthy foods for seniors. Some food banks will even drop off foods for seniors who are unable to get out. 

Government assistance for healthy groceries

While family members and professional caregivers can assist with shopping and daily tasks associated with eating healthy meals, sometimes low-income seniors may need the help of a supplemental food program to ensure that their nutrition needs are being met. Here in Oklahoma, our SNAP program helps ensure that seniors and low income families have access to nutritious food from farmers’ markets and grocery stores, for example. All states in the United States have some sort of similar food assistance programs. In these programs, benefits are put on a sort of debit card, or another medium that can be easily used at a range of locations. This is a great way to provide access to food so that seniors can prepare the nutritious meals they need. 

Many farmers’ markets and sellers even offer a senior farmers’ market nutrition program specifically to help connect seniors with healthy foods that meet their specific needs. Check in your town to see which farmers markets have this type of program.

As far as federal programs, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program works to improve the health of low-income persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods. USDA distributes both food and administrative funds to participating states and Indian Tribal Organizations to operate CSFP. Be sure to reach out to your local office to learn more about eligibility requirements and how to sign up if you’re eligible for these programs.

Grocery delivery services

Still other seniors benefit from the assistance of personal shoppers through grocery delivery services, often through apps on their smartphone. Instacart is a very well-known app that offers this service. Walmart has its own service, as does Whole Foods. Here in Oklahoma City, Instacart allows seniors to prepare grocery lists and essentially have personal assistants shopping for them through their grocery service. T comes with a delivery fee for most orders.

The stores that Instacart currently services here in OKC include Aldi, Crest Foods, Sprouts, Cash Saver, Target, and more.

Instacart and other apps typically include a fee. Then, you can prepare shopping lists based on your meal plans or individual needs. Apps typically have nutrition information for each item. This means you can best plan out your meals and items. A shopper will then complete delivery of groceries right to your door. They’ll even leave the groceries wherever you specifically ask for them to be dropped off. You can purchase everything from healthy foods to yes, even snack foods, so that all your grocery needs are met.

If preparing your shopping list on a smartphone is difficult for some seniors, online shopping through a website on your computer can also typically be completed. There is typically a great deal of flexibility within these apps. This means they are uniquely able to meet the needs of seniors and others who require some additional help or patience. Shoppers will communicate with you through the app if an item is out of stock. They’ll also respond if you need a substitution while in-store shopping. 

If you forget something, you can also message your “shopper” within the app to have it added. This provides tremendous flexibility for seniors. It also gives peace of mind for both seniors and their family members. Now they know that their grocery order will include everything needed.​

Meal delivery services

When budget permits, meal planning and meal delivery services add an additional layer of convenience to grocery assistance. There are a range of meal preparation and meal delivery services that can even help seniors with specific health needs. Services can provide diet meals, but be sure to talk to a doctor before beginning a weight loss plan. They can even support diabetic-friendly meal plans, plant-based diets, and other needs. 

Many meal delivery services allow you to note your favorite foods. That means that meals with those foods are incorporated into your plan. Some deliver meals that are already cooked. Others, like Hello Fresh, send the ingredients pre washed and often pre-chopped. This minimizes the amount of work seniors need to prepare their meals. 

Our professional caregivers help ensure seniors are eating healthy, nutritious meals

Our home care services include a range of tasks to help seniors stay happy, healthy, and safe at home. To learn more, call us at (405) 461-6175 or contact us through our website today.