HHS Announces Grants to Provide Meals for Older Adults in Indiana

Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at 2:04 PM

By Kacie Jackson

Programs like these provide meals to more than 2.4 million older adults each year.

File Photo

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced $250 million in grants from the Administration for Community Living to help communities provide meals for older adults.

Indiana received a grant for over $4 million.

The funding was provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on March 18, this grant also provided additional funding for the nutrition services programs authorized by the Older Americans Act of 1965.

Programs like these provide meals to more than 2.4 million older adults each year, both through home delivery and in places such as community centers. The need for these services, home delivery along with packaged meals, have increased as community measures to slow COVID-19 have closed meal sites and have left many family caregivers unable to assist their older loved ones.

“The Trump Administration recognizes that the measures needed to protect older Americans from the serious threat of COVID-19 have been disruptive for many of our most vulnerable,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “Getting more funds to community organizations that deliver meals to older adults, such as Meals on Wheels, is another example of the Trump Administration’s whole-of-government, whole-of-America approach to combating the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In addition to meals, the Older Americans Act programs provide a wide range of services, such as helping with dressing and bathing, rides to doctors’ offices, education on managing chronic illness, and more.

Funding has been provided to states, territories, and tribes for subsequent allocation to local meal providers. Grant amounts were determined based on the population-based formulas defined in the Older Americans Act.

Older adults who need assistance can contact the Eldercare Locator to find services available in their community. The Eldercare Locator can be reached at 1-800-677-1116 or at https://eldercare.alc.gov/.