Restarting senior meal program will take time

Congregate dining for the elderly in Ozaukee County may not resume until August as organizers work to ensure safety standards will be followed before reopening their doors. 

Kari Dombrowski, the nutrition program coordinator at the Ozaukee County Aging Services Department, said while coronavirus restrictions are lifting and elderly are vaccinated, there are still a number of steps to be taken before in-person dining can resume. 

Dombrowski said she is developing a  plan that will need state approval before reopening congregate dining centers. She  will also meet with the Washington Ozaukee Health Department to confirm reopening can be done safely. 

In addition, Dombrowski said she will also visit each of the dining centers to ensure safety protocols are being adhered to. 

The process means August is the earliest in-person dining would resume.

“It’s coming for sure but there are a lot of things I need to put in place in order to get it going,” Dombrowski said. 

The county’s seven dining centers have been closed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and replaced with a grab-and-go meal program that has seen heavy turnout. 

Dombrowski said the program has been so successful that on occasion local police departments have had to direct traffic. 

“Some days we definitely had over 300 people driving through,” Dombrowski said. 

While meal options are available to elderly people in the county, congregate dining also allows for socialization, networking and the chance to participate in activities after meals. 

Linn Crevcoure, meal site manager at the Grafton Multipurpose Senior Center, said she knows some visitors are anxious to resume in-person dining. 

“I have a few people that would like to start up,” she said. “They’re anxious to see their friends.”

Even when congregate dining resumes, Dombrowski said it will likely operate differently than before the pandemic. 

She said employees will likely take the temperatures of diners as they enter, require masks until guests are seated and seat people from different households at different tables. Due to the limited capacity of the dining centers and the need for social distancing, reservations will also be required and will operate on a first come, first serve basis. 

Another change will be the elimination of self-serve food and beverage stations. Dombrowski said meals will be boxed and staff will handle distribution. 

For those still cautious about dining in-person, the grab and go system will continue even after congregate dining resumes. 

“Carry-out meals will still be offered to those who aren’t comfortable dining in,” Dombrowski said. 

While congregate dining is still months away from approval, Dombrowski said she is pleased to see things shift back to normality after a difficult year for senior citizens in the county. 

“It’s good to get back to what we used to know,” she said. “They’ve been very anxious to come back for a long time. Our regulars will be back, no problem.”