Meals on wheels ‘in need of reform’

AT a time when the Government wants older people to continue to live in their own homes, the country’s meals on wheels service is deficient and in need of reform, a report has revealed.

The service delivers hot, nutritious meals to up to 12,000 older people but the service is patchy and unregulated, it found.

The study, commissioned by the National Council on Ageing and Older People, also found there was a heavy reliance on volunteers — almost nine out of 10 staff work in a voluntary role.