State, Restaurants To Provide Food For Seniors During Coronavirus

ACROSS FLORIDA —The state is joining forces with the restaurant industry to make sure the 5.5 million senior citizens living in Florida have nutritious meals during the coronavirus outbreak.

On Wednesday, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs announced a partnership with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association that matches restaurant workers to elderly residents who are home bound or self-isolated due to coronavirus and don't have easy access to food.

“By working together, our agencies will be able to ensure all of our 5.5 million seniors have safe access to food,” said Richard Prudom, secretary for the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. “Gov. DeSantis has helped to facilitate this process and allowed restaurants and food establishments to become emergency meal vendors for Florida’s seniors who are home bound or self-isolating for protection. We are in constant communication with seniors and our senior-care providers around the state, and we know this action will greatly increase the flexibility of our communities to access meal delivery.”

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With government-operated meal sites for seniors shut down around the state to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the collaboration between state agencies and the restaurant association will fill help fill the gap.

“Restaurants are the very fabric of communities across Florida,” said Carol Dover, president and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “Providing jobs, serving customers and creating memorable experiences for guests are key in our hospitality industry, but our restaurants contribute so much more than that. Ensuring that older Floridians have access to food during this unprecedented time is important to our restaurant owners and employees, and we commend Gov. DeSantis, Secretary Prudom and Secretary Beshears for working with our to industry to help serve those in need.”

The Department of Elder Affairs' 11 Area Agencies on Aging throughout the state will work with local volunteers and other service providers to set up meal delivery for the most vulnerable population in their areas. Meal delivery by volunteers and other organizations will also combat social isolation of seniors by providing the simple interaction between the person delivering food and the senior.

For more information, visit the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.

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