Nationally, more than 1.3 million people over 65 suffer from malnutrition and the vast majority (93 per cent) live at home.[2]
In London, only 13 boroughs provide home delivery of prepared meals to National Association of Care Catering nutritional standards 365 days per year.[3][4] Some older people are even signposted to local takeaways by their local boroughs, as a replacement for Meals on Wheels.
Older people, who do not eat properly, may end up in hospital malnourished and this could be due to a number of complex reasons - affordability, being less likely to visit a food bank, loneliness and social isolation.
Meals on Wheels services are often cancelled due to costs, but the savings made from keeping older people in their homes, rather than in care homes or hospitals, far outweighs the investment required to maintain services.
The London Assembly Economy Committee has written an open letter to the next Mayor of London asking that food poverty among older people be prioritised. The letter makes the following recommendations:
- Bring together data at a borough level to identify the need for Meals on Wheels in London and the impact the loss of the service has had on malnutrition in older people and hospital admittance.
- Press council leaders on the importance of maintaining a service - supporting Meals on Wheels can reduce the number of older people being admitted to hospital with malnutrition.
- Explore the viability of successful Meals on Wheels models already operating across the UK that work at little additional costs to councils and assess how they could be funded and developed in London.
Fiona Twycross AM, Chair of the Economy Committee, said:
“It is shocking that food poverty and malnutrition affects older people in the capital, who are at their most vulnerable stage in life. The next Mayor of London needs to tackle this issue as a priority. Without real leadership, more and more older people will lead extremely isolated and malnourished lives, where the simple act of independently sourcing and preparing a good hot meal is no longer possible.
Meals on Wheels are not a statutory requirement of councils and when faced with tough budget decisions it’s a service that is too easily cut, without looking at the longer-term implications. Investment in this service will inevitably save lives.”
Related documents
Open letter to the next Mayor of London on food poverty
Notes to editors
- The Economy Committee letter on food poverty and malnutrition in older people is attached.
- Malnutrition Taskforce, 'A review and summary of the impact of malnutrition in older people' (2014)
- Sustain, 'Beyond the Foodbank: London Food Poverty Profile 2015’
- Croydon, Sutton, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham, Redbridge, Hackney, Westminster, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Hounslow, Richmond and Harrow are the 13 boroughs.
- Fiona Twycross AM, Chair of the London Assembly Economy Committee, is available for interview. Please see contact details below.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Lisa Lam on 020 7983 4067. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.