The Department of Aging offers a comprehensive nutrition program including:

Nutrition education and counseling, home delivered meals, congregate meals and health promotion.

Nutrition Education and Counseling

Nutrition education and counseling is available through a consulting registered dietitian subcontracted by the Department. The dietitian may be reached by contacting the main office of the Department.

This service is free to any person over the age of 60.

One-on-one counseling can be done in the home, over the phone, at a Senior Wellness and Nutrition Program Site, or at the Department of the Aging office.

Congregate Meals

All meals meet at least 1/3 of the recommended adult dietary allowance. Diabetic and low-calorie menu substitutions are available for concentrated carbohydrates such as: cakes, pies, and puddings. Modified consistency, easy to chew, and/or ground main entree foods on the regular menu are provided.

There are currently ten congregate Senior Wellness and Nutrition Program Sites located in Cattaraugus County. To get more information view our contact and location information for the nutrition sites.

Reservations are required and can be made by contacting the Site Manager at the phone number listed. Reservations should be made 24 hours in advance. Lunch is served at 12:00 noon.

A contribution of $4.00 is suggested for congregate meals. All contributions are confidential, and no one is denied a meal due to an inability or unwillingness to contribute.

Transportation to the nutrition site for lunch is available at the Salamanca and Olean sites daily. Reservations for bus pick up must be made 24 hours in advance of requested service day. Reservations can be made by calling the site managers in Salamanca and Olean. Transportation at all other nutrition sites is available one day a week with a minimum of four riders. A voluntary donation of 50 cents for each one-way trip is suggested.

Senior Wellness and Nutrition Program Sites offer an array of activities that encourage individuals to have a healthy lifestyle for total personal wellness. Video exercise, blood pressure screenings, and socialization are just a sample of what is available.

Home Delivered Meals

Persons 60 or older are eligible to receive home delivered meals provided that they are incapacitated due to an accident, illness, or frailty and lacks the support of family, friends, or neighbors. They are also eligible if they are unable to prepare meals due to a lack or inadequacy of facilities or an inability to shop, cook, or prepare meals safely or a lack of knowledge or skill.

A noon time meal is delivered to their homes. A voluntary contribution of $4.00 per meal is suggested. No one is denied meals for the inability or unwillingness to contribute.

All referrals for home delivered meals can be made by contacting the main office. Once a referral has been made, a caseworker will be assigned to complete a comprehensive assessment to determine eligibility for the service. The assessment is completed within ten days of the referral. Some referrals may require immediate start-up of the service with the assessment to follow within ten days.

Health Promotion

These services and activities are designed to promote good health through a better understanding and awareness of current issues in health care, participation in activities to maintain physical and mental health, e.g. exercise classes, walking groups, stress education workshops, the administration of influenza and other vaccines and/or assistance in the early detection of possible health problems through the administration of blood pressure, glaucoma testing and other tests. (Note: tests and/or vaccines must be performed by appropriately trained and supervised individuals and do not include diagnosis or treatment.)

Check out the Cattaraugus County Meals on Wheels program on Facebook