KITTANNING, Pa. — When Paula Manfredi’s mom got home from the hospital, she was weak. She spent a week in ACMH in Armstrong County recently, which was a stressful time for the whole family.
But one thing she didn’t have to worry about when she came home was cooking for herself and her husband.
“Which was a big, big help to her,” said Manfredi. “There was shepherd’s pie and there was a chicken dinner.”
It’s thanks to a new care package program at ACMH in Armstrong County.
“There’s food insecurities in the area because we are so rural. A lot of patients don’t have access to food or grocery stores or cars,” said Vicky White, director of case management and social services at ACMH.
They ask every person who is admitted to ACMH three questions about food insecurity. If they qualify, they give them three days-worth of frozen meals, nine meals total, when they go home.
For example, a breakfast might include pancakes, eggs and sausage. A dinner might have meatloaf, mashed potatoes and a vegetable.
Trisha Brice helps to coordinate the meals as manager of environmental and nutrition services.
She says leftovers that might have otherwise been thrown out are now packaged and frozen to be sent home with the patients who need the food.
“These weren’t just people with food insecurities for financial reasons, but for access to food,” said Brice.
COVID-19 patients have taken home a good portion of the food the hospital has given out. If they’re unexpectedly in the hospital for a long time, their food at home might have gone bad.
“Let’s give them a jump start to a few days of meals so they can heal and feel up to going to grocery store or ordering groceries,” said Brice.
The Care Package Program is part of a larger, rural health initiative at ACMH.
“It’s more of helping the community as a whole,” said White. “Helping the patient once they’re out of the hospital as well.”
White says the hospital did a needs assessment. Its outcome, coupled with a poverty rate in Armstrong County, led them to start the program, which they mirrored after one at Mon Valley Hospital in Washington County.
“It’s going to give them nutritious, healthy meals at home and so that’s one way to keep them healthy and out of the hospital,” said White.
Since it started over the summer, they’ve given away 1,500 meals to 150 people, including Manfredi’s mom.
“I think it’s a great program,” Manfredi said. “There is a lot of need for this in this county.”
“It’s a real feel good program to help our patients even after they go home to ensure that they are continuing to heal,” said Brice.
The program is looking for donations to keep it going for patients. Find out how you can help HERE.