Jan Forrest used to have fresh, nourishing meals delivered to her Shepparton home daily.
"The meals were fabulous. Roast pork is my favourite ... and we used to get salads in the summer," she said.
Ms Forrest first signed up for Meals on Wheels while she was recovering from surgery and decided to remain registered for the service because she found it so beneficial.
But she now has to drive to buy the same meals directly from the local manufacturer after Greater Shepparton City Council ceased offering the service through Meals on Wheels.
More than a third of Victorian local governments have stopped offering Meals on Wheels, with the Commonwealth appointing replacement services.
The alternative offered to Ms Forrest was a more expensive weekly delivery of Lite n Easy frozen meals.
"I'm not going to be able to do that," she said.
Ms Forrest says she doesn't have space for a week's worth of meals in her freezer and, with no fence at her property, there is a risk the weekly delivery will be stolen.
The daily delivery of a hot meal also acted as a welfare check.
"With a weekly delivery, you wouldn't know if you were dead or alive," Ms Forrest said.
"There were 100 volunteers here, beautiful, lovely people — men and women and kids."
Ms Forrest doesn't know what she will do while recovering from an upcoming hip surgery, unable to drive.
She is worried about the people who have no choice but to use the new service.
"It might be too hard for some," she said.
"We're only offered one option; you don't get a choice, it's this or nothing. That's not really fair."
Meals on Wheels downgraded
Nelson Matthews, Victorian manager of advocacy organisation Meals on Wheels, says of 75 local governments in Victoria, 30 have stopped offering the service, including nine recent withdrawals.
"Councils keep this very close to their chest because there is usually a bit of backlash from the community," he said.
"Local government is pulling out and then the federal government is handing the contract over to another organisation and often that organisation downgrades the service or hasn't got systems in place to ensure the level of service that people are used to getting remains in place," Mr Nelson said.
Mr Nelson says he believes a Meals on Wheels service should involve regular deliveries to the home, and meals should be heated up for people who cannot safely use microwaves and ovens.
"And that people are monitored ... and the added benefit of that is incredibly important social connection that combats social isolation and loneliness, and also an opportunity for people to volunteer within their local communities.
"It's an incredibly rich service.
"But to actually downgrade it to once-a-week delivery of frozen meals, with no provision for people with texture modified needs and other dietary requirements — it's not Meals on Wheels, it's just not."
"There should be a way around this; it's not rocket science, you've got to get a meal to somebody by somebody who cares about them.
"Surely our society can do that."
Mr Nelson says it is important to note that some not-for-profit entities throughout Victoria are delivering Meals on Wheels "quite well".
Greater Shepparton City Council director community Louise Mitchell said the decision to stop providing the service was influenced by changes to the federal government's aged care policy.
A statement from the federal Department of Health and Aged Care says all Commonwealth Home Support Program meal providers are required to deliver nutritious meals to their clients.
The CHSP does not specify a delivery model that providers must follow.
"Where the shift from daily to weekly frozen meals is difficult for a client, they can raise their concerns with the provider ... alternatively, clients can choose to receive meals from another CHSP provider or private provider," the statement said.
