Reported by Karen Schaler (7/17)

Martha Thelford is confined to her home. Six days a week, Meals on Wheels worker Dorothy Hernandez brings Martha lunch, makes sure she's okay in the heat, and has a good supply of water nearby.

Dorothy tells Martha, "I know it helps to put a wet towl around your neck..you just get it wet and put it around your neck it will help with this heat a little bit."

Without an air conditioner, Martha has to rely on open windows and fans to keep cool. But she says the heat is still stifling. "It's like an oven in here. It's awfully hot," she says. "I go out on the porch, but I almost fell down so that's not too good."

"It's up to us to keep an eye on them and watch out for their health," Hernandez explains.

Salt Lake County's Meals on Wheels program checks almost daily on close to a thousand senior citizens. And with this hot weather, workers are doing more than just delivering meals. They're making sure seniors are surviving the heat.

Robert Yeakey lives in a trailer. Sometimes his only visitor is a Meals on Wheels volunteer.