The receptionist at my insurance agency has a 92-year-old grandmother who has 30 grandchildren, so getting someone to do her errands and buy her groceries is not a problem. Others are not so lucky.

There are many people who are elderly or disabled who have difficulty leaving their home and often must depend on friends and family. While most people will pick up milk for a neighbor once or twice, weekly shopping can become a trial over an extended period.

A few years ago my sister's neighbor broke her foot and was unable to drive. My sister, who had once broken her foot, offered to do her shopping -- tasks that eventually extended to posting mail, putting out the garbage, filling prescriptions and doing the laundry because the washing machine was in the basement.

Even though the woman with the broken foot had a limited list of mostly frozen meals, bread, beverages and snacks, my sister -- who is willing to go the extra mile for others -- said shopping for someone else can become tiresome.

"You have to hunt around for things you're not accustomed to buying, you may not find them, you have to keep the groceries separate so you don't mix them up with your groceries and you have to keep the money separate," my sister said. "After a while, you look forward to the cast coming off."

If someone with as big a heart as my sister finds grocery shopping for others tiresome, I don't think we can count on that many friends to take chores for any period of time. Yet today's economy often forces family members to seek work in different parts of the country, spawning the long-distance family caregiver.

Helping someone with a broken foot is one thing, because eventually they will get better and become mobile again. But with the elderly, the favors can get more numerous as time goes on. Many people resist opening the door to helping someone elderly because they feel they will get sucked into a black hole of endless need.

So those with small families or no family are at a distinct disadvantage should they become injured, sick or frail.

Often the caregiver is homebound as well, because he or she cannot leave the care recipient home alone. There are private services -- some begin at $39 an hour -- that will either do shopping and errands for a caregiver or elderly person, or stay with someone while the caregiver shops.

Meals on Wheels is an option, but as the elderly population increases, more volunteers will be needed to meet demand.

Another option is online shopping -- tremendously convenient for those with a computer. But not everyone has a computer. Some grocery stores deliver, but many do not. For prescriptions and drugstore supplies, both Rite Aid and CVS offer online shopping. If orders are more than $50 the shipping is often free. Selection is more limited, but heavy things like laundry detergent or bulky things like toilet paper can show up at your door.

Meanwhile, Amazon.com offers more than 18,000 grocery items. The quantities and prices may be a bit more than people are accustomed to -- a 15-count package of Bounty paper towels costs $18.16 -- but if homebound, it's mighty convenient.

However, what is really needed with the graying of America is the return of home delivery of dairy products, produce and bread.