One of the most valued aspects of MOWAG is the opportunity to share problems and solutions related to meals on wheels. Take a moment May 21-24 to participate in an online conversation: “What keeps you up at night?” Comment below anytime May 21-24 to share a problem or weigh in on a solution – this will be an ongoing conversation all four days. |
Monday, May 21, 2012
Online Chat: What keeps you up at night?
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Hello MOWAG Friends! We hope this online discussion this week will give plenty of opportunities for learning and sharing.
ReplyDeleteNote that to publish your post or reply, select "Name/URL" and just enter your name (no URL necessary).
I would appreciate any advice about recruiting retirees to deliver meals. We understand both nationally and locally that retirees are often the greatest presence for volunteerism, but we haven't had great success reaching retirees so that they know the volunteer opportunity exists. Suggestions? Thanks! Jeff
Great question! I have found that the faith-based community is a great avenue for volunteer recruitment. Many churches have senior groups that meet regularly and I will often go out and speak to these groups to provide information about our MOW program. We have received good response for our calll for volunteers. Moms groups are another great resource - while the kids are in school, stay at home moms (or dads) find it rewarding to deliver meals.
DeleteRetirees are a huge part of our 100% volunteer driven program and we could not do it without them…not to mention what they can offer you beyond driving routes. We are lucky to have UGA in our back yard with folks retiring and wanting to give back to their community, however Athens has a ton of volunteer opportunities so it is important to stand out and remember that a volunteer should get as much out of their experience as we get out of their help. It is also important to know, understand and connect with each volunteer as an individual-which helps with retention. We encourage our volunteers to bring friends to expose them to the program-in hopes they pick up their own route. We find that we have luck when they help us recruit friends and family by word a mouth. Flexibly is key! We often are thanked for being so accommodating and not making them “feel bad for not being able to do their route”. Even if it puts us in a bind, they will never know it. We have substitute volunteer positions for those that don’t want to commit to a schedule and this helps them not feel over committed. (They often volunteer more than if they had adopted a route in the beginning.)We also tap into the stay at home mothers and another great resource is some local groups that provide services and opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. This has been a win-win for both us and the individuals. Some do it in a group setting while others do it with their support staff. These volunteers have proved to be some of the most dedicated-and cover 10 of our routes!
DeleteOne other thing about volunteering in retirement: I am convinced that you are healthier as a person and I really emphasize this when speaking to people about volunteer opportunities. I use examples of my own 75-90+ year old volunteers that I have personally seen remain healthy or improve their health over the years.
When we conduct annual client satisfaction surveys, we always tack on few questions that are not required by our governing body. We're looking for more information that is relevent to our specific program or specific outcomes as a result of our program. I'm wondering...how often do you survey your MOW clients and what do you do with the data (beyond sending it to reporting agencies). Also, if you are required to use a standardized survey as a result of a government contract, do you ask addition questions? If yes, what are the kinds of things you want to know from your MOW clients that aren't typically asked on a standardized survey.
ReplyDeleteWe survey annually and with that data use the information for potential grants, area/annual plans and now use it to leverage contracts with contracted food providers.
DeleteAdditionally, we are now beginning work on food insecurity surveys upon admission into our programs. We want to determine is HDM (Home Del;ivered Meals) enough to render someone food secure and if not, what other interventions can we put into place.
We conduct our formal DAS mandated survey annually but also have conducted surveys for other projects, such as pilot programs or intern studies, throughout the year. I use the feedback to improve the overall program as well as make changes to the meal program. For instance, this past year we had a dietetic intern project concerning lactose intolerance and milk consumption which translated into adding yogurt as a milk option which can sometimes be tolerated by those who can't drink milk. I also confirmed through a survey that we have an issue with participants "smuggling" milk cartons out of the centers to consume at home. To reduce the risk of illness, we implemented a powdered milk option along with the yogurt so that we now have 5 milk choices each day to meet participant needs (white, chocolate, buttermilk, yogurt, and powdered). The powdered milk can be carried out in plain view (i.e. no need to smuggle) and can then be reconstituted or mixed into another item such as meat loaf or soup at home. I'm currently in the midst of completing a survey re: the pilot of bi-annual menus and added on the question about participant difficulty opening meal packages (condiments, fruit cups, etc). It is all well and good that we drop a meal at the home but are they actually able to open the components to eat the food and, if not, what do they do? FYI lots of feedback that certain fruit cups are very difficult to open. and some are using their teeth as assistive devices. We also asked the congregate participants their level of difficulty with this issue. The answer ... sharing their assistive devices with one another at the table - yuk (which I've seen). Rest assured we do have staff (and appropriate opening devices) to assist with this task but sometimes the participants don't want staff to know of their difficulties. The answer, I believe, is to perhaps open all the containers before service.
DeleteCindy - your reply is really thought-provoking! Thank you.
DeleteEvery time we access a client face to face we conduct a customer survey. We assure the client that it will be anonymous. We have included the food insecurity questions that now are required in AIMS.
ReplyDeleteFellow MOWAG members...what keeps you up at night?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have suggestions on growing your private pay base? We are doing pretty well and I suspect we will continue to see an increase since we started offering choice. We would like to see this group of customers grow.
ReplyDeleteAlso, often our inquiries come from concerned family members or friends-but sometimes come with resistance from the potential customer. If I can meet with them I can almost always help them understand the benefits and they become willing to give it a try. However, for those that politely decline...I am not able to meet a need. Often these are folks that need it more than anyone. Do any of you have this same issue?
Great feedback on the question of survey data. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI worry about how to get the message out without sound like a broken record or crying wolf. The problem of senior hunger is here now, and it will get worse. Georgia is the 7th worst in senior hunger, but that means one in six seniors is food insecure! A few years ago, we were 6th but it was one in nine. An English teacher in high school told me that you have to hear or see something eight times for it to sink in. We know most people don't read our direct mail that closely, but since I write it, it feels repetitive to me!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone successfully fought off the feeling of repetition to get the message across? Do you use a wide variety of data/messaging, or a narrow variety, or just a single message?
I recently attended a public initiative which took a very different, and interesting, approach to addressing seniors hunger. It was sponsored by Comfort Keepers and Golden Harvest Food Bank and what they do is set the room up to visually depict the "haves" and "have nots". As people arrive they take an available seat of their choice at tables - some have table clothes, others do not. Some tables have large candy bars on the table while others have the little "treat/bite" size candy bars. As they discuss the problem of senior hunger, they do so by moving people around the room from the position of "have" to "have not" with real life scenarios of how this can happen. For instance, one person was selected and told that he lost his job, is unable to find another job, and as a result can no longer afford his current lifestyle. He is asked to stand and move to a table without a table cloth and with a smaller candy bar. A woman at that table is told that she just married the son of the CEO of a large and successful company and has been elevated from "have not" to "have" and replaces the man who lost his job. This goes on with different scenarios and rearranging of people. It can be done with the meal itself with some getting a fancy dish and others a more basic meal. It really brings home the message and because it is interactive, it is very effective and memorable. Maybe more of this in the community is what we need and, at the same time, it promotes your organization. Comfort Keepers, by the way, have food collection bins in business throughout the community and they regularly donate to the local food bank. I'm hoping to have them present at our local dietetic association meeting in the fall.
DeleteWe are moving toward educating the public in language they understand...and really doing a better job explaining causes of senior hunger. We've learned through informal discussion groups that the words "senior hunger" leave people with a blank in their head. When we started better explainging that physical limitations or chronic health issues can contribute to senior hunger or that grandma sometimes has to choose between prescription drugs and fresh vegetables, we started seeing a light bulb go on and greater response to the need. We are now gearing up to revamp all of our communications and collateral materials.
DeleteCCSP and SOURCE regulation compliance keeps me up at night (and causes indigestion). We are implementing the signature requirement for delivery and I would appreciate some examples of forms that you may be using to accomplish this. Please e-mail to mchristman@gainesville.org.
ReplyDeleteI can help you with that Milon and I'll email you a copy of our meal log which is generated from our CAREeVantage software. Winnie
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The most aspect value of the meals and conversation are related to meals and it keeps share some problems and it solutions. It really very effective conversations.
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Wow this is very amazing , all the ideas where great @anonymous : I agree with you .
ReplyDeleteGreat work, HDM is a good solution to the problem.
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ReplyDeletenice informative and interesting blog.
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