Janice Baker has always been a proud and independent woman. Even at the age of 82, she remained in her 2nd story condo living freely on her own. It was not until May of 2015 that things took a turn for the worse. Janice was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, which is caused when certain nerve cells (neurons) in the brain gradually break down or die. Symptoms vary from person to person. According to the Mayo Clinic, some common side effects include: tremors, slowed movement, rigid muscles, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements, and speech and writing changes. In Janice’s situation, her disease did not waste any time in declining her health. She began to lose her appetite, and as one who did not eat fruits and vegetables regularly, she found herself down 10 pounds in just 6 short months. She also experienced chronic fatigue and insomnia. Her Parkinson’s took away her ability to drive and her ability to stand for long periods of time. This made accessing groceries and cooking balanced meals very difficult. Even her everyday chores, like doing laundry and cleaning, became much harder. She began to question her ability to stay in her home.
As Janice panicked over whether or not she could remain in her own home, her family found Meals on Wheels Western Michigan (MOWWM). Thankfully they were able to make this discovery from Texas where Janice’s family resides. We were able to reassure Janice that enjoying healthy and tasty food would not be a worry anymore. Once our client services department concluded that Janice was indeed eligible for Meals on Wheels, having been over the age of 60 and a resident in Kent County, a client assessor visited her to look more closely at her current living situation.
Our assessor was able to be made aware of Janice’s pre-existing health conditions. Aside from Parkinson’s, Janice also suffered from hypertension and diabetes. MOWWM has a great program called Meal of Choice that was recommended to support all of her health concerns. Our Meal of Choice program allowed Janice to choose from a menu what meals she would like to receive for the week. This gave her the option to choose her own favorite meals, in addition to those that were best for her health. Our assessor was also able to get Janice signed up for the Kent County Senior Millage care management services that could assist her with her other needs, such as maintaining her home. She now is visited 3 times a week by an in-home care giver, and is supported by an Area Agency on Aging Western Michigan care manager.
Assessors re-visit clients every 6 months to see if their condition has changed. In Janice’s case, we were very happy to see that after 6 months she was able to gain back 6 pounds that she had previously lost. She was receiving enough nutritious meals that gave her a balance in fruits and vegetables. Janice told our assessor that her sleep had improved, and she was not constantly worrying anymore. Janice expressed tremendous gratitude to our assessor, claiming that she would not still be in her home without Meals on Wheels. In return, her family had the peace of mind that their mom is not only being provided with nutritious meals but is also connected to other community services that she needs. Janice still utilizes our services today. She is now 83 years old and receives 7 meals a week.
*Please note that the name has been changed for confidentiality.
