Meals on Wheels Referral Checklist

This Meals on Wheels referral checklist is a practical, evidence-informed tool designed to support frontline professionals in identifying individuals who are likely to benefit from Meals on Wheels support.

Developed by researchers at the University of Bristol as part of the Meals on Wheels UK project, the checklist translates national-level demand modelling into a simple, structured, person-centred referral framework for use in practice.

The checklist:

• Supports consistent and transparent referral decision-making

• Aligns frontline assessments with population-level indicators of predicted need

• Helps identify individuals with higher predicted need for a Meals on Wheels service

• Is designed to complement, not replace, professional judgment

The scoring framework is informed by demographic, health and social vulnerability indicators associated with predicted need for Meals on Wheels services, including age, disability, income vulnerability, living arrangements, general health, and geographic access barriers.

The resource is suitable for:

• Local Authority Adult Social Care teams

• General practitioners and primary care professionals

• Hospital discharge teams

• Voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations

• Community-based support workers

The checklist is licensed by the University of Bristol and is free to download and use. It is currently released as Version 1.0 – Developmental Framework, with future refinement anticipated through pilot implementation and evaluation.

A detailed Technical Report outlining the evidence base and development process accompanies the checklist.

By supporting earlier and more consistent identification of individuals likely to benefit from Meals on Wheels, this tool aims to strengthen preventative frontline health and care practice, reduce risk of poor nutritional outcomes, and support independent living among older adults and adults with care needs.