Last updated: September 2026
The Price County Council on Aging approved three policies on September 14 that decide how far a meal will travel, and what happens when the door does not open.
One of them turns a volunteer driver into the county’s early-warning system for an older resident in trouble.
Quick Answer: The Council on Aging approved three nutrition policies on September 14: a five-mile home delivery radius, a seven-mile radius for the Prentice area, and a step-by-step protocol for meals that cannot be delivered. The undeliverable-meal policy escalates from a note on the door to a call to the sheriff’s department for a welfare check. The committee also heard that the Park Falls site manager’s last day was August 31 and that the Phillips-to-Minocqua bus route is running well behind last year’s ridership.
What did the Council on Aging approve?
Three policies, all passed without opposition. Two govern distance. The third governs silence.
How far will a meal be delivered?
Under the standard policy, home-delivered meals reach within a five-mile radius of a senior dining site. The Prentice area gets a separate and slightly wider rule: meals may be delivered within a seven-mile radius of the closest dining site, on a case-by-case basis that depends on how long the route already runs and whether a volunteer driver is available.
Families outside that band are not simply turned away. Staff said they are offered alternatives such as frozen meal delivery through outside providers, including Mom’s Meals and Home Style Direct.
One committee member questioned the limit, noting that five miles is not far to drive for a meal. Staff explained the constraint that drove it. Long routes are why food arrives cold and why drivers quit. The committee also heard that routes must be documented and that the state holds those records, so a driver running late is not a small matter.
What happens when a meal cannot be delivered?
The third policy answers a question the program already faces: what to do when a driver arrives and nobody answers.
The sequence is specific. The driver makes reasonable attempts, including calling the participant’s home. If the meal still cannot be delivered, the driver leaves a note on the door stating that an attempt was made and that meals will be put on hold until contact resumes. The driver then calls the site manager.
The site manager tries the participant, then the emergency contact. If neither answers, the site manager asks the supervisor for a welfare check. The supervisor tries the emergency contact again, leaves voicemails for family care participants, and emails the managed care organization. After one hour with no contact from the participant or the emergency contact, the supervisor contacts the sheriff’s department for a welfare check.
Staff described how this plays out in practice. One driver could not reach a resident, and the chain ran its course. The woman was deaf and did not hear anyone knocking. She had simply been in the shower. Her daughter was reached, and the welfare check ended with everyone fine.
A committee member pressed on whether this is really the council’s business. Staff drew the line clearly: the policy covers the participant’s well-being, not their continuing eligibility for meals. “We want to make sure that they’re okay,” a staff member said.
The committee also discussed when to stop delivering to someone who repeatedly is not home. Staff said that after several missed attempts, they will write or call the participant to say the meals cannot continue, because each undelivered meal is still paid for and still consumes staff time spent trying to locate them. Staff confirmed meals have been canceled under that reasoning.
Who is running the program?
The Park Falls site manager worked her last day on August 31. Staff said the position was advertised immediately and interviews were scheduled for the afternoon of the meeting itself. In the meantime, the Park Falls site has been covered by other staff, with no new start date set.
Nutrition staff training is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, in Hayward. All meal sites will be closed that day so that managers and substitute staff can attend.
How much is the program serving?
The committee reviewed the nutrition program’s meal statistics. The report counted roughly 1,615 meals for the period, an average of nearly 89 meals per day, according to the figures presented to the committee.
Staff also walked through the transportation numbers, which drew more attention than the meal counts.
The Phillips-to-Minocqua route logged roughly 1,909 trips in 2025 and about 1,204 so far in 2026, per the ridership charts shown to the committee. The monthly comparison is closer than the yearly gap suggests. July 2025 saw roughly 356 trips on that route; July 2026 saw about 334. Staff said ridership has moved up and down through the year while staying below the prior year’s pace, and presented the charts for the committee’s awareness rather than for action.
Free rides were again offered to school-age students and to veterans.
What programs are coming up for older residents?
Staff listed a full fall calendar.
The outreach coordinator, Cheyenne, will run a Mind Over Matter class in the community room on October 8, October 22, and in November, from 9 to 11 a.m., with advertising planned in the local paper.
A Smart Move More Weigh Less session has eight open slots. The 15-week program runs online, pairs participants with a registered dietitian, and carries a suggested contribution of $25. A class starts in October.
The fall session of Strong Bodies began the day of the meeting at the public library. Staff noted the brochure does not list the location or dates, and encouraged members to spread the word. The suggested contribution is $25.
A Halloween costume party is in the works, and a senior living expo is scheduled at the Armory in Phillips from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with lunch provided by the Country Cafe.
Staff also reported that the senior farmers market nutrition program boxes were fully distributed for the season.
What is the next meeting?
The council will meet December 14 at the Brentwood site at 10:30 a.m. Members chose Brentwood over the Phillips courthouse because the Phillips site is closed on Mondays. Suggested contribution rates for congregate and home-delivered meals are expected on that agenda.
Frequently asked questions
How far does Price County deliver home-delivered meals?
Within a five-mile radius of a senior dining site. The Prentice area has a separate rule allowing delivery within seven miles of the closest dining site, depending on route length and volunteer availability.
What happens if nobody answers the door for a meal delivery?
The driver leaves a note and calls the site manager, who tries the participant and their emergency contact. If there is still no contact after one hour, the supervisor contacts the sheriff’s department to request a welfare check.
Where is the Park Falls senior meal site manager position?
It came open after the previous manager’s last day on August 31. Interviews were scheduled the afternoon of the September 14 meeting, and other staff covered the site in the interim.
When is the Price County senior living expo?
At the Armory in Phillips from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with lunch from the Country Cafe. The council reviewed the advertisement for it at the September meeting.
When does the Council on Aging meet next?
December 14 at 10:30 a.m. at the Brentwood site.
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