Meals on Wheels had been delivering healthy meals to thousands of older adults in Portland, Oregon, for more than 50 years when a local hospital asked whether the group could cook similar meals for patients leaving the hospital after acute bouts of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses.
The answer was a resounding yes, according to Suzanne Washington, CEO of the local organization Meals on Wheels People. The group signed on with that Portland hospital five years ago and later agreed to provide meals for two others in the area.
Three years ago, data from the first hospital showed that patients with diabetes, congestive heart diseases and other chronic illnesses who received what are known as medically tailored meals were half as likely to be admitted to the hospital compared with those who didn’t receive meals, and the total cost of their care was substantially lower.
