Nutrition Services for Seniors (.pdf) | Home Meal Delivery (.pdf) |  Meal Menu
 Nutrition Letter |  Nutrition News  | Food Safety For Seniors (.pdf)

The Dutchess County Division of Aging Services offers a wide variety of services to meet the nutritional needs of persons 60 years and older. Services include congregate meals at senior friendship  centers and housing sites, home delivered meals for the homebound, nutrition education and counseling, picnics, and health promotion events.

Senior Friendship  Center (Congregate Sites) - For those seniors who wish a tasty, nutritious meal combined with social activities and fellowship, seven senior friendship centers are open Monday through Thursday with transportation available in most cases.  The City of Poughkeepsie site is also open on Friday. There are also six mini sites at senior housing locations where meals are served once or twice per week.

Sites are located in the City and Town of Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck,  Millerton, South Amenia, East Fishkill and Beacon. Specific locations as well as a description of some of the activities at the sites are listed below.

Senior Friendship Centers

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 Monthly Meal Menu    

January, 2012 (.pdf)
February, 2012 (.pdf)
March, 2012 (.pdf)
April, 2012 (.pdf)

Division of Aging Services Senior Friendship Center activities include the following:

Home Delivered Meals

The Dutchess County Division of Aging Services prepares hot meals which are delivered to homebound seniors. Home visit assessments are made by personnel from the Nutrition Program to determine each person's eligibility. The Home Delivered Meals Program allows seniors to remain in their homes and also provides them with daily socialization with the delivery person.  For more information, call 486-2555.

Picnics

Summer picnics are organized by the Division of Aging Services in communities throughout the county. These events, sponsored by community organizations, local businesses, and municipalities, offer an opportunity for those over 60 to mingle and enjoy a barbecue. Division of Aging Services staff members are on hand to provide information about programs and services for seniors and to process senior citizen discount cards.

Health Promotion Events

Many friendship centers offer a variety of Health Promotion Events including cholesterol, vision, blood pressure and osteoporosis screenings. Almost all sites offer a regular exercise program which acts as an excellent osteoporosis preventative. Call the site nearest you for more information.

Other Meal Services

Box lunches, and frozen meals are some of the other offerings from the Dutchess County Division of Aging Services 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.

Meals On Wheels

Several Meals on Wheels organizations operate in Dutchess County. Days of service and fees vary for each organization. Contact them directly at: 

• Poughkeepsie 452-2245
• Hyde Park 229-5896
• Millbrook 677-3485
• Wappingers Falls 297-2800

Grocery Shopping Services

For those who are able to cook but are not able to drive, Stop and Shop offers Peapod, a food delivery service where customers order online and their order is delivered. The fee is $6.95 for orders over $100 and $9.95 for orders between $50 and $100. The company offers $1 off the delivery fee if payment is made by automated checking account withdrawal, and another $1 off certain delivery times, meaning that delivery can be as low as $4.95. This service is not available in all areas of Dutchess County.

Shoprite From Home allows customers to place an order and pick it up or have it delivered. The shopping fee is $10 plus $5.95 for the delivery. Like Peapod, the service area is limited.

Nutrition Education and Counseling

Education on dietary concerns is offered on a regular basis at each friendship center. A nutrition newsletter is published monthly and provided to all nutrition program participants as well as to others who are interested. Individual nutrition counseling by a Registered Dietician is available to seniors through the Nutrition Program.

Menu Preparation

All menus are approved by a registered dietitian and are low in fat and salt. They also contain one-third of the RDA requirements. Diabetic diets can also be accommodated.