FOR YOUR HEALTH RESIDENT PHYSICIANS REACH OUT TO
Senior Services
When Dr. Tom North drove to the Yellowstone County Adult Resource Alliance, 1505 Ave. D, on a sunny winter morning, he had no idea that he would be delivering hot meals to 17 homebound individuals by noon. His visit to the Alliance was part of the geriatrics rotation in the Montana Family Medicine Residency (MFMR) based at RiverStone Health. Development Director Judy Hughes greeted Dr. North and gave him a rundown on programs the Alliance offers: transportation for seniors, Pantry Pals who help shop for groceries, Resource Center that is “a Yellow Pages for seniors”, a volunteer program that matches older adults with community service opportunities, senior meal sites in Billings, Broadview, Custer, Laurel, Huntley, Shepherd and Worden, and Meals on Wheels (MOW). Those programs run with the help of about 600 volunteers – 200 of whom help deliver Meals on Wheels. Five of those Meals on Wheels volunteers were seated at a large round table in the Alliance dining room when Dr. North met them.
“It’s all so well organized,” Gerry Omstead told him. She and her husband, Roger, have volunteered to deliver meals for 14 years. That day, 261 meals were scheduled for delivery in Billings. Additional meals were delivered in Laurel and Huntley. Dr. North was paired with Meals on Wheels volunteer Bea Ann Melichar. She has delivered meals for the past two years. Before that, she served for many years as the Alliance executive director. “I’ve had as many as 20 people on this route,” Ms. Melichar said as she and Dr. North headed to the kitchen to pick up two large coolers already packed with meals. A couple of regulars on the delivery route were in the hospital, so they wouldn’t need a meal at home. There was one couple on the route, so two meals would be delivered at that stop. Like other volunteers, Ms. Melichar is dedicated to getting daily nutrition to homebound people. “For some, I’m the only person they see in a day,” she said as she started driving the 12-mile Billings route over snowpacked streets. “For some, that’s the only nutritious meal they get,” Ms. Melichar noted. She knows everyone on her route and brings treats for their dogs. She and Dr. North donned gloves before touching the food containers. Extra precautions were being observed during the pandemic. Delivery volunteers were instructed to drop off meals without going inside homes to visit. “This lady is diabetic and she gets skim milk and she has a dog,” Ms. Melichar said. About 90 minutes later, after completing the MOW route, Dr. North was enthusiastic about the service. “had no idea going in, what I was going to do today. I’m glad to be here. It was fun.”
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APRIL / MAY 2022
