Mid-Cumberland HRA Meals-on-Wheels

About Us

Founded in 1974, the Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency (MCHRA) is an independent, non-profit organization committed to helping individuals and communities become more self-sufficient. MCHRA provides services that work toward improving the health, well-being, and economic opportunities of people needing critical support or of those who may have an immediate need.

The Agency makes a positive difference in the lives of Tennesseans by working in partnership with them to foster independent living and, in the process, restore hope and dignity to their lives. Headquartered in Nashville, MCHRA spans Middle Tennessee with offices in 13 counties. Its governing body is composed of consumer and agency representatives as well as elected officials from the counties served in the Mid-Cumberland region.

Our Mission

To help people help themselves by providing knowledge and resources to improve the quality of life.

Homemaker Program

The Homemaker Program provides in-home services to some of the Mid-Cumberland region’s most vulnerable residents: its seniors, disabled, and individuals at risk of abuse or neglect.

The Homemaker Program is designed to help our clients achieve significant life goals. These include helping them gain or maintain self-sufficiency and independence and preventing or remedying neglect, abuse, or exploitation of both children and adults, especially those who are unable to protect their own interests. One of our primary goals is the prevention of institutional care.

Who We Serve

Helping Maintain Quality Lifestyles for Tennessee’s Seniors

The Homemaker Program brings hope to homebound clients, providing essential, cost-effective in-home services to elderly and disabled individuals in order to support independent living. These services include general housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation to medical appointments, assistance with paying bills, bathing assistance, and emotional support.

Seniors are the most rapidly growing age group. More and more seniors wish to remain at home for as long as possible. Often they need only minimal care and support to do so, but because it is not available they end up losing their independence far too soon and are forced into institutional placements in nursing homes and/or assisted living facilities. The Homemaker Program is a critical component in the nation’s long-term care system, allowing elderly and disabled clients to retain their long-earned and well-deserved independence by staying at home for as long as possible. Clients are most often more content in their own homes and the cost of in-home service is minimal compared to that of a nursing facility.

Helping Maintain Quality Lifestyles for Tennessee’s Families

The objective of working with families with young children referred by the Department of Children’s Services is to teach activities designed to help parents improve home-management and child-rearing skills, thereby reducing the risk of abuse or neglect and preventing placement of their children in foster care. These areas of learning include parenting skills, proper hygiene and nutrition, budgeting, household maintenance and cleanliness, school truancy, and proper discipline. The Homemaker Program helps to allow families to remain intact by improving the parenting and basic life skills of the parents. Without this service, more children would enter or remain in foster care.

Accomplishments

The Homemaker Program’s success is demonstrated by more than 90 percent of clients having attained their goal of remaining independent. The results are evident when elderly individuals are able to remain in their homes with limited assistance, preventing premature institutional placements, or when children are able to remain safely within their families rather than entering foster care.

The Homemaker Program serves more than 1,000 clients in 13 counties in Middle Tennessee. However, as of June 30, 2008 there were still more than 700 seniors on the program’s waiting list. Homemaker recipients are not required to pay a fee for services.

Meals-on-Wheels/Senior Dining

Offers More Than Just a Meal

Meals-on-Wheels has been providing healthy home-delivered and café-style meals to Middle Tennessee seniors, age 60 and over, for more than 30 years. Seniors who are physically able enjoy their meal at congregate sites. Homebound seniors have their meals delivered to their homes. The popular award-winning senior program offers nutritious meals to those who would otherwise go hungry.

Because food serves as one of the most important elements in the strategy to keep people out of institutions, Meal-on-Wheels is a critical component in the nation’s health and long-term care system.

The program’s 1,400 Middle Tennessee volunteers deliver meals Monday through Friday. However, the program offers more than just a meal. Meals-on-Wheels staff provides outreach, nutrition education, supportive services and recreational activities.

Each of the Meals-on-Wheels nutrition sites is permitted and inspected by the Health Department to ensure that all safety and sanitation standards are being met.

Schedule a Ride

You can plan a ride at any time within the schedule; however, we request that you make reservations 24 hours in advance for local trips and 72 hours in advance for out-of-county trips. Making advance reservations is necessary so we can accommodate as many requests as possible.

Please contact your local MCHRA county office to schedule a ride today. You can find your local office number under “Find Your Program Office” on the right hand side of this page.