"It's Not Just a Simple Meal. It's So Much More": Interactions Between Meals on Wheels Clients and Drivers.

Background and Objectives: Meals on Wheels (MOW) programs provide home-delivered meals to over 1.5 million older adults; yet, very little is known about the drivers who make meal deliveries possible. Specifically, we do not have clear insight into their interaction with clients or the benefits that they may receive through their service. The objective of this article is to describe the characteristics of MOW drivers, the interactions among drivers and clients, and the benefits of the program to both. Research Design and Method: This qualitative research study reports on interviews with 84 MOW staff (leadership, case managers/client assessors, volunteer coordinators) and drivers at six geographically and operationally distinct programs across the United States. Results: Qualitative analysis of the interviews with MOW staff and drivers revealed the following key themes: (a) clients have multiple vulnerabilities; (b) clients appear to derive social, as well as nutritional benefit from receiving meals; (c) drivers report they provide additional support to their clients beyond delivering the meal; (d) social bonds between drivers and clients were reported to strengthen over time; (e) drivers claim that they, too, derive validation and personal benefit through their meal delivery.