Eating well is central to staying healthy at home, so help with meal preparation is a valued Support at Home service. It is an everyday living service, so it carries a co-contribution and draws on your budget. Here are seven plain-English ways to make your meal preparation funding go further.
1. Choose a self-managed package
This is the biggest saving. A self-managed package carries much lower management fees than a high-fee fully-coordinated one, and self-managed providers tend to charge lower hourly rates. More of your budget reaches actual meal support. Many families find a self-managed package delivers close to twice the care hours, meal preparation included.
2. Compare the hourly rate for meal support
Rates for help with meals vary between providers. Ask for the meal preparation rate specifically before you choose, and compare it against others in your area. A lower rate means more support from the same funding.
3. Batch cook in a single visit
A worker can prepare several meals in one visit, leaving portions in the fridge or freezer for the days ahead. One longer visit that produces a week of meals is far better value than a short visit every day, because there is less travel overhead.
4. Check for travel charges
Some providers charge worker travel separately, which adds to the cost of every visit. Ask whether travel is included in the hourly rate or charged on top. Fewer, longer batch-cooking visits also reduce the impact of any travel charge.
5. Combine meal prep with other tasks
If a worker is already in your home, it can be efficient to group meal preparation with another suitable task in the same visit. Talk to your provider about sensible combinations that reduce the number of separate visits.
6. Schedule on weekdays
Weekend rates are usually higher because of penalty pay. A weekday batch-cooking visit that covers the weekend is better value than paying weekend rates.
7. Look at low-cost meal options alongside your package
Some communities have affordable meal delivery services. For some of your meals, these can sit alongside your Support at Home meal support, leaving more of your package budget for other care. Ask your case manager what is available locally.
The bottom line
Meal preparation is an everyday living service, so it draws on your budget. The single biggest way to get more meal support from your funding is to choose a self-managed package with low fees.
See how a self-managed package changes your meal support hours with the SAH budget calculator, and compare providers in your area with the find-care comparison.