A Review of the nutritional needs of Meals on Wheels consumers and factorsassociated with the provision of an effective Meals on Wheels service - anAustralian perspective

Objective: A review of the literature was undertaken to identify the nutrit ional needs of elderly MOW consumers and factors affecting the ability of e xisting programs to meet those needs. The focus was on the Australian exper ience but drawing on the world literature. Design: Keyword search of English language based computer databases of the medical and health literature. Results: Several studies suggest the nutritional intake of MOW consumers is below recommended levels, although the risk of nutritional deficiency has not always been identified. The literature indicates the effectiveness of M eals on Wheels programs are affected by a range of issues including the app ropriateness of nutritional standards, menu selection, portion control, lev er of consumption and customer satisfaction. The literature recommends cont rol of time and temperatures associated with food handling procedures, alon g with education of providers and customers, to assist in the provision of a safe food supply. Conclusions: Meals on Wheels is an important service, providing meals to ho usebound consumers. While the effectiveness of such programs is dependent o n a range of variables, the nutritional impact of the service and the stand ard of food hygiene are fundamental assessment criteria.