Senior benefits in Hart County, Georgia

Legacy Link is the Area Agency on Aging for Hart County. As an Aging & Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) access point, it connects older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers to in-home care, home-delivered and group meals, transportation, caregiver support, benefits counseling, and the Medicaid Community Care Services Program waiver. Services are for adults 60 and older, with priority for those in greatest need. Call Legacy Link at 770-538-2650 or 1-800-845-5465.

$500–$6,000/yr

Ninth District Opportunity (NDO) delivers the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for Hart County. LIHEAP makes a one-time payment directly to a household's home energy supplier to help with heating and cooling costs, with crisis help when a shutoff is imminent. Households qualify with income at or below 60% of the state median income, and households where every member is 65 or older or medically homebound can apply early each season. Schedule an appointment by phone (855-636-3108) or online; help is first-come, first-served until funds run out.

$350–$1,000/yr

St. Mary's Sacred Heart Hospital in nearby Lavonia (part of St. Mary's Health Care System, a Catholic, not-for-profit Trinity Health provider) is the closest community hospital for many Hart County residents. It offers charity care and below-cost discounted care to patients who meet income criteria. In recent guidelines, households under about 212% of the federal poverty level qualify for free care and families under about 311% qualify for discounted care. A financial counselor can help determine eligibility.

$500–$18,000/yr

In this county: St. Mary's Sacred Heart offers free care for households under ~212% of the federal poverty level and discounted care under ~311%; eligibility is set by individual review, so this shows as a may-qualify result. Financial counselor: 844-853-7359. (Some Hart County residents also use AnMed in Anderson, SC.)

Legacy Link, the Georgia Mountains Area Agency on Aging, coordinates transportation for older adults in Hart County, with rides arranged through the county's transit provider. Service helps seniors reach medical appointments, shopping, senior centers, and essential errands. Rides are demand-response and reserved in advance. Contact Legacy Link at 770-538-2650 for the local transportation contact and to arrange service.

$150–$1,500/yr