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Go Grocery Shopping for a Malnourished Neighbor

by Mary King
The Challenge

Grocery shopping can be a harrowing task for elderly and disabled people with mobility problems, visual impairment, poor balance, or physical strength limitations. Inclement weather, out-of-reach items, and impatient cashiers can compound the problem. As a result, some of your elderly and disabled neighbors may be avoiding grocery shopping to the point of malnourishment.

While many of us take for granted the ability to run in and out of a grocery store to grab milk, consider the dilemma this task can present to someone with physical limitations. If she is no longer able to drive or does not have a car, she will either have to walk or take public transportation. Then, she has to maneuver around a store, perhaps using a cane or a motorized cart. Finding items and using self-checkouts can be confusing for someone who may have trouble seeing. Finally, she has to bring her purchases home, balancing what little she can carry as she tries not to trip on the sidewalk or fall while getting on the bus.

Because a trip to the grocery store can be such an ordeal, elderly and disabled people may rely heavily on processed and packaged foods rather than healthier fresh alternatives. Worse yet, they may skip meals altogether when there isn’t anything left in the house to eat.

You can make a difference by offering a ride or a pair of helping hands. But a safe trip is only the beginning. Your intervention might add a few more healthy years to someone's life.

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You can either help with grocery shopping in person or help the elderly and disabled shop for groceries online.

In-person:

  • Think about people who live in your neighborhood or attend your church. Is there an elderly neighbor or disabled friend who might like a ride to the grocery store? Strike up a friendly conversation and ask. Even if the person doesn't end up needing a ride, he or she will appreciate your concern.
  • Look for a Center for Independent Living in your community and talk with management about introducing you to a member who could use your shopping assistance. Likewise, contact local retirement centers to offer your services.
  • Once you have connected with someone interested in going grocery shopping with you, draft a grocery shopping list together before heading to the store. (Save the finished list to serve as the starting point for future trips.) You might want to use a premade list of basic items and categories to help get both of you thinking about necessities and nutrition.
  • As you see what products the person routinely uses, clip coupons for these items and bring them along.
  • Realize that shopping with an older person can take time and patience. Read these practical tips for being a helping hand at a grocery store to make the experience as smooth as possible for both of you.
  • Before leaving his or her residence, see if the person needs assistance putting items away or opening them. Many elderly people lack the strength to open jars or child-proof caps.

Online:

  • There are several grocery stores that allow you to shop online: Albertsons, Peapod, Netgrocer, and Schwan's Fine Frozen Foods.
  • You can help the elderly or disabled person shop for him/herself in the future by creating and saving a shopping list at the online grocer of choice. This is particularly helpful for seniors, who are often less familiar with the Internet. Once you create the online shopping list, the elderly or disabled person need only sign on to the website and click for redelivery of the saved list.

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