Gentle music plays as a bald man with glasses carries two cups of water. He hands one to a smiling woman on a couch.
MAN: You thirsty? Here. Have something to drink.
He takes a seat next to her. Now, he interviews as text appears.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Jim Pfander
Patti’s husband
JIM: Two years ago, Patti was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia. I’m her care partner. She’s not permitted to drive, she doesn’t handle her own medication, and she doesn’t handle finances. So I’ve got a lot of issues on the table all the time, and so meals got to be a pain in the neck. The case manager through UnitedHealthcare said here’s some opportunities, and one of them was Mom’s Meals. And the first thing that they say to you on Mom’s Meals is, “You’ve got nine choices. What kind of diet do you want?” You pick out the day that you need it delivered, and it comes in a box. It’s very convenient.
Patti watches as Jim scrolls through a Mom’s Meal menu on his touch screen computer. He opens the front door, and a delivery guy hands him a large box. In the kitchen, Jim and Patti unpack the box. A banner slides down with text.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Mom’s Meals delivers
fully prepared, nutritious
meals to vulnerable
individuals, like Patti.
ON SCREEN TEXT: In 2019, the program
provided over
2.4 million meals
to UnitedHealthcare
members.
A woman with long gray hair interviews by a window.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Michelle Yount
Customer Service Representative, Mom’s Meals
MICHELLE: Healthy eating is a key part in healing and staying healthy. We have a team of dieticians and a team of chefs that work hard to make sure these meals are tasty and nutritious.
A clean-shaven man with white hair interviews.
MAN: We have a diabetic menu, a renal menu, pureed, gluten free. We try and accommodate as many as we can with whatever dietary needs they have. The idea is to keep people in their home. Make sure they’re getting the nutrition they need without having to purchase it outside the home or having someone come in to help them.
Jim reads through the labels on the pre-packaged meals. Patti holds a stack of meals as he opens the refrigerator. Taking them from her, he slides them onto a shelf. Later, he opens a microwave and pulls out one of the meals.
JIM: It saved us money. It saves us when I go now to the store, I don’t have to spend a lot of time because I know I’m going for ice cream, and I’m gonna go for bread and I’m gonna go for milk. I don’t have to worry about making a lot of choices. So that becomes less of a difficult outing for her.
A woman in a gray shirt sits in her office as she interviews.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Mariaelena Maes
Clinical Administrative Coordinator, UnitedHealthcare
MARIAELENA: I had a member who was taking care of his daughter, who was a special needs adult. His wife had passed, so he’s alone with her, and he had had a medical emergency. And he couldn’t feed his kid. It’s one thing when we can’t eat. It’s another when our babies can’t. So, for him to be in tears, being so grateful that his daughter was gonna eat, made my day, because I knew that I had saved that guy’s day. That guy’s daughter’s day. You know? Those are the kinds of things that Mom’s Meals alleviates. I know that this makes their quality of life better. I’m not just coming to work to earn my paycheck; I’m coming to work, and I’m changing lives.
At the dinner table, Jim scoops the premade meal into a bowl for Patti. She takes a forkful. Later, they couple sits back on the couch, holding each other’s hand.
JIM: So it makes our life a lot simpler. I’m looking at this from the caretaker’s point of view. One less thing I have to worry about. That’s a good thing.
A blue logo appears over a white background.
ON SCREEN TEXT: United
Healthcare
Filmed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.