To mark Malnutrition Week (14-18 September), Meals on Wheels NSW has launched a Malnutrition Screening Pilot Program to equip staff and volunteers to identify clients who may be at risk and connect them with further support. 

Supported by an in-house team of Accredited Practising Dietitians established earlier this year to help services respond to changing nutritional and aged care needs, participating Meals on Wheels services will pilot the program, with a view to expanding it across the state.

This new initiative builds on a strength of the Meals on Wheels model: the person delivering the meal is also checking on the person receiving it. Unlike a conventional meal delivery, volunteers see clients face to face, carry out wellbeing checks, and over time can notice subtle changes in appetite, appearance, mobility or circumstances.

Meals on Wheels NSW CEO Claudia Odello said the initiative shows why Meals on Wheels is fundamentally different from simply purchasing prepared meals.

"There are more ways than ever for people to have a meal delivered to their home. But Meals on Wheels has never just been about getting food from A to B," Ms Odello said. 

"That human connection gives Meals on Wheels an opportunity that a standard food delivery doesn't have. We can help notice the early warning signs of malnutrition before they become a serious health problem."

For an older person, those warning signs can be easy to miss. A skipped lunch or a smaller portion doesn't look like an emergency. A belt pulled a notch tighter, or clothes that suddenly feel loose, can get written off as just part of getting older. Left unchecked, malnutrition can lead to cognitive and functional decline and a higher risk of falls, fractures and hospitalisation.

“Every person whose risk is picked up early is someone we may be able to support before their health deteriorates to the point where they need hospital treatment or a higher level of care,” Ms Odello said. "That is better for the individual, better for their family and potentially reduces pressure on an already stretched health and aged care system."

"Meals on Wheels volunteers aren't replacing doctors or dietitians, and we're not asking them to diagnose malnutrition," Ms Odello said. "What they can do is notice, ask a few simple questions and raise a flag when something doesn't look right. Sometimes that conversation at the front door could be the conversation that prevents a much bigger problem later."

This contact with volunteers is increasingly important as more older Australians choose to remain living independently at home.

"Malnutrition can creep up slowly. Someone may not recognise the change themselves and their family may not see them every day," Ms Odello said.

"This pilot is about testing how we can use that trusted connection in a simple way to identify risk earlier. Our intention is to learn from participating services and clients, refine the model and ultimately explore how it can be expanded across the wider Meals on Wheels network."

The Malnutrition Screening Pilot Program follows other initiatives using the Meals on Wheels network to support the health and independence of older people living at home.

Meals on Wheels NSW's Sound Bites Pilot Program with Macquarie University, which brings in-home hearing checks to clients with the support of Meals on Wheels volunteers, has had a strong response, showing just how much services can add beyond the meal itself to support health, independence and social connection.

Ms Odello says, "This is what we mean when we say Meals on Wheels is 'More Than Just a Meal'. The meal is really important, but so is the person standing at the door."

Find out more about how Meals on Wheels supports older people to stay well at home.

Published 18 September, 2026

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