COCHRANE - A Northern Ontario long-term care home is helping provide seniors in its community with hot meals.
Located in Cochrane, Cadence Residence, which is owned and operated by the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB), has partnered with the Red Cross to deliver meals to seniors. The partnership could also generate new cash for the organization.
The food service company Compass Group serves meals for people living at Cadence. The Red Cross reached out to see if meals could also be made available to seniors in the Cochrane area from Monday to Friday.
“It was determined that Cadence was equipped to be able to offer fresh, homecooked hot meals to seniors in the community where seniors could enjoy hot meals five days a week,” reads a report from Lindsay Cumming, CDSSAB housing services director.
The program started in February and Red Cross volunteers are delivering an average of 33 meals a week.
The Red Cross staff is responsible for determining client eligibility, invoicing and collecting payment for meals.
The CDSSAB is collecting $1.85 per meal. That includes the 50 cents per meal that the Red Cross is charged for using the kitchen. An existing contract with Compass Group also has CDSSAB receiving 15 per cent the revenue from all additional meals the business prepares.
The expected annual revenue of the program is $3,000.
Although it’s not a major income stream, Cumming said it’s a valued community service that will promote independent living to the seniors of Cochrane.
“It is also a great opportunity to market the meals at Cadence as the waiting list continues to grow for seniors wanting to move to Cadence,” Cumming’s report reads.
At the April 18 CDSSAB meeting, Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau, who is also the board chair, said the collaboration is allowing Cadence to become a hub to help seniors to live independently in their respected homes for a longer period of time.
“It’s really a food security issue and, you know, helping people stay at home longer. So I’m really happy the model’s being duplicated in Cochrane,” she said.
