Home Meal Delivery and Grocery Shopping Services

The Dutchess County Office For The Aging prepares hot meals which are delivered to homebound seniors five days a week (Mon-Fri). The Home Delivered Meals Program allows seniors to remain in their homes and also provides them with daily socialization with the delivery person. Home visit assessments are made by personnel from the Nutrition Program to determine each person's eligibility. The Office for the Aging’s Home Delivered Meals program operates five days a week (Monday - Friday).  

Frozen and/or shelf-stable meals are also available when circumstances warrant.

For more information, call (845) 486-2555 or email nbhargava@dutchessny.gov.

Eligibility Criteria for Home Delivered Meals

(Note: during the COVID-19 outbreak, New York State has temporarily expanded eligibility for the Home Delivered Meals program for seniors. Contact the Office for the Aging to find out more.)

To be eligible for Home Delivered Meals, an individual must meet the following guidelines:

1. Age 60 or over
2. Homebound (Only leaves the home for doctor/hospital/clinic visits, church services and occasional outings)
3. Incapacitated due to accident, illness or frailty. 
4. Unable to prepare meals due to:
   a) Lack of facilities such as refrigeration, stove etc
   b) Inability to shop or cook for self
   c) Inability to safely prepare meals
   d) Lack of knowledge and skill
5. Without support from family, friends and neighbors.
   
   OR the spouse of the homebound older individual, regardless of age or condition, who meets the above criteria that the provision of a meal to the spouse is in the best interest of the homebound person.

Before meals can be started, Office for the Aging staff must conduct an in-home needs assessment. If the individual client meets these criteria, arrangements can be made for a short-term (6 to 8 weeks) or long-term program.

Volunteer As An OFA Home Delivered Meals Driver

Volunteers deliver meals to homebound seniors countywide every weekday, and also serve as a second set of eyes to check on seniors' well-being. We can work with your schedule, and mileage is reimbursed for HDM drivers using their personal vehicles to make deliveries. To learn more about volunteering as an HDM driver, email nbhargava@dutchessny.gov, or call 845-486-2545. 

Click here for a printable volunteer application (.pdf)

Special Shopping Hours for Seniors

As a response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the following stores with locations in and/or near Dutchess County have set aside special shopping hours for seniors age 60 and above. Many stores have also extended this accommodation to those with underlying health conditions that could make them more susceptible to virus transmission. Keep in mind that due to the nature of the outbreak, hours and availability may change with little notice. Note: many stores are closed on Easter Sunday, April 12th. Others are typically open but have not made a decision yet under the current circumstances. We'll update this list as we receive new information.