News
24 September, 2024
Moreton's kitchen nightmare
Two of Moreton Bay’s largest Meals on Wheels kitchens have been forced to close after depleting all funding, following unprecedented demand for the key community service.
It comes as meal providers plead for more funding to allow them to continue providing meals and social interaction to some of the regions most vulnerable residents.
The Caboolture and Burpengary kitchens closed earlier this month in a bid to reduce costs across Meals on Wheels Moreton Bay Region (MOWMBR).
The organisation has been overwhelmed by demand over the past 18 months.
They received federal funding for 115,000 main meals last financial year, but served up 9,000 more than they had funding for.
In total, they made 303,000 meal units last financial year, which include chilled and frozen meals, sandwiches, soups and desserts, with funding coming from a range of sources including Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), Home Care Package (HCP) and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
MOWMBR General Manager, Wendy Smith, said the group was taking on approximately 100 new clients and dozens of online enquiries each month.
Despite this demand, they have not received any additional federal funding to accommodate the increase, as had been the case in past years.
“MOWMBR funds these extra meals through fundraising initiatives, but this only covers a fraction of the costs and is not sustainable,” she said.
“As a result, we’ve had to restructure staffing and amalgamate our kitchens to reduce expenses and continue serving the community.”
Part of their restructuring includes cooking the meals for Caboolture and Burpengary in the Petrie kitchen now, rearranging delivery schedules, and reducing delivery days.
“This restructuring has not only affected staff mental health, but has also disrupted our clients’ delivery schedules,” Ms Smith said.
“We now deliver meals only from Tuesday to Friday, which helps us save on volunteer fuel (which we fund ourselves) and staffing costs.
“Unfortunately, this leaves some clients without any contact for up to three days, as their last delivery is on Friday.”
To accommodate the increased meal preparation in their Petrie kitchen, MOWMBR have also had to close service to all clients on Mondays.
The group continues to provide extra frozen meals on Fridays, to ensure no client goes without a meal on Monday.
The Caboolture and Burpengary branches also continue to have meals delivered to the local off ices for distribution, with them being prepared in Petrie.
Due to the funding constraints, MOWMBR has now also had to cease providing meals for any state-funded client under 65 years of age, as they only receive approximately $42,000 of State Government funding per year, which works out to about $5.75 per meal.
“That’s nowhere near enough,” Ms Smith said.
“Our agreement with the state isn’t based on permeal funding, but we’ve broken it down to show just how little that support actually amounts to,” Ms Smith said.
Federally, MOWMBR have received $1.243 million in funding through CHSP, which is indexed annually.
Ms Smith said MOWMBR was in the difficult position of needing to prioritise and decide who will receive meals, with potential clients being added to the My Aged Care waitlist, along with hospital referral clients.
Currently, MOWMBR serve 950 clients across Samford, Pine Rivers, Woodford, Burpengary, Bribie Island, and Caboolture.
“We are still here to serve the community, and we are doing our best to accommodate everyone with the limited resources,” Ms Smith said.
“Each individual Meals on Wheels service should receive funding based on the meals they deliver.
“If we don’t provide meals to these clients, they risk ending up in hospitals or aged care facilities, which goes against the government’s goal of helping older Australians remain in their homes longer. This would significantly increase costs for the government, ultimately impacting taxpayers.”
MOWMB is now also working with Moreton Bay Council to find a new location to amalgamate all six of their kitchens into a single cooking space, especially since some of the kitchens, like the former Caboolture one, are very old and small buildings.
“If you would like to get involved, especially as a volunteer, please reach out. We would love to have you onboard,” Ms Smith said.
A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care said MOWMBR “is able to apply for additional grant funding when new grant opportunities are opened”.
“The Department is sympathetic to the impact of services closing in a community,” they said.
“Demand for aged care services is increasing, in line with the ageing population. Requests for additional funding for aged care services is common.
“Commonwealth supports are available to assist providers with managing CHSP grant funding appropriately.
“It is, however, the responsibility of Meals on Wheels Moreton Bay as a private entity to ensure its operations are financially responsible and sustainable”.
The spokesperson added CHSP grant recipients should contact their Funding Arrangement Manager to seek support and advice, with residents also having eight other providers funded though CHSP to provide meals services in the local Caboolture Aged Care Planning Region.
A spokesperson for the Queensland Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts said the State Government “recognises that Meals on Wheels provides vital food services as well as an important social service, helping to tackle social isolation and loneliness in our communities”.
The department said it had renewed its contract with MOWMB for three years, starting July 1, 2024.
As a result of this renewal process, MOWMB will receive $148,089 (exc GST) over three years ($49,363 per annum).
“Queensland Government representatives will continue to meet with MOWMBR to offer guidance about other supports for clients of the service and related operational matters,” they said.
“The State Budget allocated $1.2 million over four years to Meals on Wheels Queensland as the peak body, to ensure Meals on Wheels providers are supported to continue delivering nutritious, value for money meals.
“Doubling the funding for MOWQ peak body is part of $8.9 million for food relief support for community-based food supply organisations to continue critical food recovery and distribution for Queenslanders.”
Meals on Wheels Queensland (MOWQ) CEO, Evan Hill, said the struggle of balancing funding and a growing demand for meals is being seen across the state, with consistency in funding being a longstanding issue.
“We are seeing a growing number of members who are delivering above what they are contracted to provide,” he said.
“We do need to see some investment in growth funding in the CHSP for meals.
“As the CHSP has been extended to at least June 2027, without adequate growth funding for meals it will only increase the demands on our amazing members and their volunteers, who provide not only a nutritious meal but valuable social connection with every delivery they make.”
Mr Hill said demand has been on increase over the past four years, having been exacerbated by an ageing population and cost of living crisis, with client numbers now exceeding 20,000 Queenslanders.
According to Mr Hill, certain Meals on Wheels kitchens having to provide more meals than they are funded for, means members need to find other ways to keep the budget and pricing in balance, usually off the back of fund raising eff orts and donations.
“Our members are committed to providing for the elderly and vulnerable members of their communities. We are more than just a meal,” he said.
“We are asking for funding to meet the growing demand for meals, so no one is expected to wait and go without.”
When comparing Moreton Bay’s decision to reduce operating hours and amalgamate kitchens to reduce costs, to other regions across the state, Mr Hill said kitchens aren’t closing across the state.
In some small cases, however, members are transitioning their government contracts to other Meals on Wheels providers, as was the case in Jimboomba.
“We believe there is a lack of funding in certain regions across Queensland and other parts of the country,” Mr Hill. said.
“There is also a longstanding issue on consistency of funding of meals in the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).
“Across the country there is a genuine lack of consistency for how meals are defined and funded within the CHSP and this needs addressing.”
Federal Member for Longman, Terry Young, said he is “deeply sorry” for the measures having to be taken by MOWMB to reduce costs and has called on the Federal Government to take action.
“Put aside the politics and at least reinstate the funding for any new clients and increase the funding per meal, as everything has gone up,” he said.
Anyone interested in volunteering call 07 3285 2532 or email info@mowmbr.org.
For more info visit www.mowmbr.org
