The Meals on Wheels Service: A Consumer Survey

Combines a marketing study of the Meals on Wheels (MoW) service in Leicester, with a study of food consumption patterns in 1,500 elderly persons by the use of a self‐completed questionnaire, which aimed to evaluate the consumer characteristics, service provision and degree of satisfaction of MoW recipients and identify specific areas of dissatisfaction. Overall 88 per cent said they were very satisfied or satisfied with the service. Food consumption patterns showed that the majority of the elderly ate other food besides MoW but 26 per cent of recipients provided no information, suggesting that little other food was eaten. Further research is required on preference ratings for various types of meals and on the attitudes of the elderly to certain food types, e.g. fruit, vegetables, milk and other dairy products.