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.
(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:
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.
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)
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.
Store | Seniors Hours | Notes |
---|---|---|
Acme | 7:00 - 9:00 am | all locations |
Adams Fairacre Farms | 7:00 - 8:00 am | all four locations |
Aldi | first hour of operations | all locations, Tuesdays and Thursdays only |
BJ's (Wappingers) | 8:00 - 9:00 am | |
DeCicco's (Brewster) | 8:00 - 8:30 am | also applies to other downstate locations |
Dollar General | first hour of operations | hours vary by location |
Frankie's Superette (Hopewell) | 8:00 - 9:00 am | |
Freshtown (Amenia) | 7:00 - 8:00 am | |
Hannaford | 7:00 - 8:00 am | all locations, Tue-Wed-Thu only |
Key Food (Beacon) | 7:00 - 8:00 am | |
Millbrook Farmers Market | 9:00 - 9:30 am | Saturdays only; opens June 13 |
Mother Earth's Storehouse | 8:00 - 9:00 am | all locations, Monday through Friday only |
Nature's Pantry | 8:30 - 9:00 am | |
Price Chopper | 6:00 - 7:00 am | all locations |
Rhinebeck Farmers Market | 10:00 - 10:30 am | open Sundays only |
Sam's Club (Fishkill) | 7:00 - 9:00 am | Tuesdays and Thursdays only |
ShopRite | 6:00 - 7:00 am | all locations |
Stew Leonard's (Danbury, CT) | 7:00 - 8:00 am | |
Stop & Shop | 6:00 - 7:30 am | all locations |
Sunflower Natural Foods | 9:00 - 10:00 am | all locations, Monday through Friday only |
Target | 8:00 - 9:00 am |
Wednesdays only |
Tops | 6:00 - 7:30 am | Tuesdays and Thursdays only |
Walmart | usually 6:00 - 7:00 a.m. | Tuesdays only |
Whole Foods (Danbury, CT) | 8:00 - 9:00 am | also applies to other downstate locations |
Several Meals on Wheels organizations operate in Dutchess County. Days of service and fees vary for each organization. Contact them directly at:
Shelf-stable box meals and frozen meals are some of the other offerings from the Dutchess County Office For The Aging. They're designed to provide for the special needs of the senior citizen population.
Frozen and shelf-stable meals allow meals to be delivered for more than one day at a time in difficult to reach locations. They also provide assurances that those in the program will not go hungry in the event of inclement weather.
Many area supermarkets offer a food delivery service where customers order online and their order is delivered, for a fee. This service may not be available in all areas of Dutchess County.
Click here for a printable summary of meal delivery options available in Dutchess County (PDF)
Related: Food Safety for Older Adults - The FoodSafety.gov has 4 basic rules when preparing foods at home that will help keep you safe: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill.