{"id":"older-americans-act-home-delivered-meals","name":"Older Americans Act Home-Delivered Meals","provider":"State and Area Agencies on Aging and local senior nutrition providers","entitlement_type":"government-benefit","entitlement_type_label":"Government benefit","entitlement_type_context":{"definition":"A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route.","domain":"public-benefits","archetype":"direct-program","agent_instruction":"Identify the administering jurisdiction and disclose income, household, age, disability, immigration, residence, renewal, fee, and capacity rules that apply."},"summary":"Local Older Americans Act programs deliver nutritious meals, social contact, and wellness checks to eligible older adults who need meals at home.","benefit":{"description":"Scheduled home-delivered meals with nutrition support, a recurring social connection and wellness check, and information or referral to other home- and community-based services.","estimated_value_usd":null},"discovery":{"focus":"public-service","has_estimated_dollar_value":false},"access":{"relationships":["Older adult eligible for local home-delivered senior meals","Eligible spouse or person with a disability living with an older meal recipient"],"requirements":"A participant generally must be age 60 or older and meet the local agency's needs assessment and delivery criteria, which commonly prioritize people who are homebound, frail, isolated, unable to prepare meals, or in greatest economic or social need. A spouse and certain people with disabilities living with an eligible older adult may qualify under federal and local rules.","activation":"Use the Eldercare Locator to contact the Area Agency on Aging or local meal provider, request a home-delivered-meal assessment, and complete local residence, functional-need, scheduling, and emergency-contact steps.","cost_basis":"no-cost","cost_basis_label":"No-cost access","cost_basis_context":{"classification":"free","definition":"The core benefit has no required payment, purchase, deposit, paid membership, or pre-existing paid-product relationship under the captured terms.","agent_instruction":"Still disclose optional add-ons, transportation, parking, replacement charges, taxes, capacity, and eligibility conditions found in fees or requirements.","variation_patterns":null,"does_not_mean":null},"fees":"An eligible older person cannot be denied because they do not contribute, though a confidential voluntary contribution may be invited. Delivery frequency, meal type, assessment criteria, service boundaries, temporary or long-term status, priority rules, and waiting lists vary by provider.","personalized":false,"regions":["US","State, Tribal, territory, and local delivery service areas"],"expires":null},"status":"verified","last_checked":"2026-08-04","claim_url":"https://eldercare.acl.gov/home","source_url":"https://acl.gov/programs/health-wellness/nutrition-services","source":{"primary_url":"https://acl.gov/programs/health-wellness/nutrition-services","evidence":[{"source":"State and Area Agencies on Aging and local senior nutrition providers","url":"https://acl.gov/programs/health-wellness/nutrition-services","kind":"provider","checked_at":"2026-08-04"}]},"parent":null,"coverage":{"level":"national","family":"food-and-nutrition","jurisdiction":"United States","maturity":"direct"},"web_url":"/benefits/older-americans-act-home-delivered-meals","taxonomy":{"version":"1.0","url":"/api/v1/taxonomy"}}