Where to find a service that would deliver food or beverages to an assisted living facility?

Donna, I did a quick google search for grocery delivery in Jacksonville and got several promising sites, perhaps you can do the same.

Thank you....I did the same, but my brother cannot afford the price they charge. His only income is $25/mo and that seems to be what most of the delivery services charge...this would leave $0.00 for him to buy anything with. Thanks so much for responding.

Become a prime member on Amazon and order groceries... Many vendors drop
Ship for free. It will take a little
Planning but should be do able.

They only drop ship for free with a prime membership. And that's $60 or so a year but you can use it too.

Donna: Why is his only income $25? Does he not have some kind of disability pension? Or does he not need a full grocery delivery b/c the AL provides his food? I'm just trying to see what he would need.

If his income is only $25 per month, then regardless of delivery charges he won't be able to afford his monthly groceries. Has he applied for government assistance to supplement this? Is there any friend or family member who lives near him who would be willing to pick up a list of items for him while they are doing their own grocery shopping? Any sort of delivery service will cost something, even if you hired a teenager to go pick up groceries for him, you would need to pay them $10-20 for that. I hope you can find a good solution that works for him. Best of luck.

The AL provides all his meals and snacks, right? What is it that he'd like to order over and above that?

The Personal Needs Allowance in Florida is more than $25 a month. Why is he getting only $25? How can he get his haircut and replace worn-out clothing on that small amount?

There is something that doesn't seem right in this picture. Can you explain a little more?

You mention that you are available to help him place the order. If all he has is $25 a month it would be very nice of you to just pick up his few things. Even if a store delivered, you would need to tip, and that would be a big chunk of his money gone. If he were my bro, I'd be happy to do it. It would probably take less time and energy just to pick up his few items than it would be to place such a small monthly order. I'm sure he would be very grateful and it would show him that you care about his needs.

It doesn't sound like LW lives near the brother, if she did she would be doing his shopping for him and wouldn't be inquiring about a delivery service. Is there someone at the AL she could talk to about this? Do the other residents have someone shopping for them? Is there a senior center or church nearby who might have volunteers who would do this once a week? ... I have a disabled relative who gets $35 walking-around money, but I am in the same town. I can cash his check (or he does at a local convenience store) and take him on a monthly grocery run for snacks and incidentals (he gets his meals at his group home). But there is something called the ACT Team who is supposed to take him to doctors appointments, to get him new glasses, things like that.

Check with the local grocery stores as they are starting to deliver. Even Walmart delivers food! I'm saying that based on the Fry's, Albertson's, Walmart, and Safeway here in AZ. The stores are making it easier to shop.

Aren't any family members helping out financially? A few bucks a week to help out a senior in need?

There may be some Senior Volunteer groups that would be able to take him out shopping or do some shopping for him.
There may also be a church group that would do the same thing.
Check the stores they may have a service like "Pea Pod" that will deliver groceries. (By me that is Jewel , I think that is Albertson's )
If you do not live near him what is the possibility that once a week you could make up a "Care Package" and UPS it to him. That way he can save his $25.00 and get a few snacks that will last him a week. That is if we are talking snacks and not full meals that he wants to get. Most AL facilities have in addition to the meals snacks at specific times as well as many now have juice bars and snacks available 24/7

I doubt many places would deliver for so little. I really wouldn't be worth their time. It sounds more like he needs a friend in the outside world.

Most larger grocery stores deliver food and nearly anything that the store offers. Your brother may have to have someone order for him online, but some may take orders over the phone. Good luck - it's a better time for that than in the past.
take care,
Carol

Just want to thank everyone for taking the time to answer my question. So many good ideas. Just to clarify, I do take care of my brothers needs and I take him shopping and I use my own money to do so. I live 2 hrs away from his AL facility and I am 71 years old. I am trying to prepare for the day when I won't be around or won't be able to do what I am doing now. The AL facility takes his entire social security benefit with the exception of $50/mo, out of which the cost of his meds are deducted, thereby leaving him with $25. I am checking out all suggestions so far posted on this site, in fact, I had already checked out several during the past 4 months. I will keep checking until I can find some organization or volunteer group that can take over when I can no longer do it myself. Thanks again everyone...your input is greatly appreciated. DonnaforJack

Many time churches have programs with volunteers that buddy up with one person to help the person do things. Our church in Birmingham has a program like that. Does he belong to a certain church? Maybe you can put out feelers to see if there is a program with volunteers interested in helping. This sounds like a situation where a buddy program would be ideal.

Does the facility have a bulletin board? Can the list be posted under volunteer errand needed? Note: It is really hard to shop for an elder if you have to return some items, if something was more expensive than they were used to, or the item was not available and is substituted. Not so hard really, but if the time/effort allotted is expected to be one run to the store and back, it is just not going to happen.

The grocery stores that offer on-line ordering and home delivery usually have a minimum order amount plus delivery fee.

I use Peapod for my own groceries and for my Dad's groceries, and Peapod's minimum order size in my area is $60 with $9.95 home delivery fee. Or if someone can pick up the order at the grocery store, it can be ready and waiting for you curb side with a $2.95 pick up fee. I use the pick-up option, and believe me this has been a time saver for me. I can order groceries during a break at work in the morning, and pick my order up the next day :)

Keep looking especially at grocery stores in my area it cost $4.00 and they bring it to my apartment and put it away for me. I am also sure that in an area that big that there are shuttles that will pick your brought up and take him to the store and I don't know of a store that doesn't help handicap people shop.

Sendme2help, back when I was doing the inside grocery shopping for my parents, they would review the grocery receipt and if something was overcharged even by $.10 my parents would want me to return to the store and get their money back... [sigh].

My parents didn't understand I would have spent more than $ .10 in gasoline to get that dime. Eventually I learned to just dig in my wallet and give my parents that dime, or quarter, or dollar, and tell them I would go to the grocery store later.... which I never did.

I buy a few cans of chili, hash, and tuna when I do my regular grocery shopping and put the cans aside for my relative. I throw in condiments, crackers and cheese, a pack of hot dogs now and then. This holds him over till he gets his check again and saves him some money...But of course, I won't be there for him forever, so it's good to know there is an organization that could take him down the block to the grocery store, it wouldn't take them 15 minutes.

He may prefer an outing. Tell the server or staff at table/cash register "This is 2 separate orders". 1 is yours and one is brothers. This documents his expense as separate from yours. Make sure it's evident you did not use his money for your benefit. Easiest way that I can do is to take his receipt to snf.

Request a refund for the actual amount you spent out of your pocket. If the expense exceeds the amount of money in his account, the extra can't be refunded. Same for clothes purchases, barber shop etc.

My spouse's facility won't release money ahead of time. I must spend my money on his behalf, submit receipt, and be refunded up to the amount that is in his account.
I've offered to order meals to go and bring to the facility. He won't go along with this because he still wants the outing along with the meal. I took him out before he became too hard to transport.

It's a burden on families forced to advance funds. They don't always have funds to advance. The accountant's office is open 8-5/Mon-Fri. Family schedules conflict with the facility's schedule. There may be a procedure in place for these situations.

Additionally, resident funds are not to be used toward tips, only the price of the item or service. Family needs to do the tipping with some of their money. Even if the place he goes out to has a campaign to donate $1.00 for hungry kids at the register, he is not allowed. You would need to donate a dollar of your own. When spouse was getting hair cuts at a local shop, he could not use any of his own money to tip the barber. I always tipped from my money.

Merchants usually require an order placed by phone or online be prepaid by credit card. So family has to provide a credit card number. They will deliver if family prepays with a credit card by phone, or cash at the storefront. That's how it mostly works in our community.

Is the AL that he is living licensed by the state of Florida? I'd inquire with them about not providing trips for the residents who are able to go. I've never heard of place like that. I'd inquire about why he's only getting $25.00 per month too. It doesn't sound right.

Why is he only getting $25 a month?

Donna you need to go with him. A blind man in a grocery store? No go.

Aren't his meds being provided by medicaid?

I think most Assisted Living facilities don't have their residents go out shopping via the community owned bus, there is too much of a liability risk as a person is living in Assisted Living for a reason.

Where my Dad lives, there is an Assisted Living building and a separate Independent Living building, and the community bus only pickup residents at the IL door. One has to be mobile [walkers are allowed], somewhat clear minded, and be able to shop on their own within a certain time frame, as there is the driver and one Aide who helps the residents get on and off the bus.

I remember being in the grocery store and seeing a driver from one of the communities... he had everyone back on the bus except for one lady who still had a full cart of groceries who was roaming around the store... I overheard him tell her it is way past the allotted time, he needed to get the others back to the complex, but she wanted to keep shopping... [sigh]... so the Staff can have their hands full at times.

FF, when I shop at Walmart there are often several buses from AL's dropping off and picking up their residents. Were you are perhaps thinking of memory care? Now that would be a nightmare LOL

DonnaforJack: When my late mother was living and especially since she lived alone 400 miles away from me, oftentimes I would use Pea Pod (a delivery offshoot service from Giant Food). They were wonderful. You can place the order on line after you've set up your account of course, and shop ...they even offer sale items just like you would find in Giant grocery stores.

cwillie, I wonder if some places that are Assisted Living are more Independent Living and vice versa.

Oh good grief.... Walmart + elders = STRESS. Years ago I use to take my parents to Walmart, to them it was like going to DisneyWorld. Dad would get his cart, Mom would get her cart and they would go in opposite directions. Oh dear, who do I follow? I need to clone myself.

It was so exhausting, as I was re-shelving the items as my Mom had problems with seeing, thus she would pull off the shelf a can of peas and then couldn't find where the can belonged if she didn't want that can, so the can was put just anywhere. My OCD would kick in and that can of peas had to go back on the right shelf.

After an hour of me re-shelving, Mom had a full cart and was ready to check-out, but I had to find Dad first. I would sit Mom down in the pharmacy area and go hunt for Dad... around and around and around the store I would go, I walked what seemed like miles... eventually there was Dad... took him back to the pharmacy area... oops, Mom escaped... I would sit Dad down and go hunt for Mom.... eventually I would find her, she left because she was worried about Dad.

After checking out and getting my folks back into the car, which wasn't an easy task, Dad would want to go to Home Depot.... I was so tired I couldn't see straight, told them "no". Imagine going after a half dozen of seniors... it would be like herding cats !!