Senior benefits in Boone County, Iowa

Aging Resources of Central Iowa is the Area Agency on Aging for Boone County. It serves adults age 60 and older, adults 18 and older with disabilities, grandparents raising grandchildren, and people facing elder abuse. Its services are free. Specialists answer questions about housing, transportation and help at home, and options counselors can help you apply for programs. Other services include case management, family caregiver support, group meals and home-delivered meals, nutrition counseling, farmers market checks, and elder abuse prevention. Appointments are required, so call 515-255-1310 (toll free 800-747-5352) first.

Estimated service value: $200–$2,000 a year

LIHEAP (the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program) gives a one-time payment toward winter heating bills for households with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Households with someone 60 or older or disabled can apply starting October 1; everyone else can apply starting November 1, and applications close April 30. In Boone County, IMPACT Community Action Partnership takes LIHEAP applications by appointment (phone or in person) or online. The IMPACT office in Boone is at 606 Greene St and is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you heat with propane, LIHEAP can pay for a propane delivery. If you have a disconnection notice, have been shut off or have a furnace that does not work, call right away. Call 515-518-4770 to book an appointment.

Estimated bill savings: $80–$800 a year

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lists an office for Boone County at 900 West Third Street, Boone. This office is by appointment only and is served by the Story County office in Ames. Phone: 515-292-2035. Iowa HHS says you can apply for SNAP food benefits and for Medicaid health coverage, including Medicaid for older adults and people with disabilities, at your local HHS office. You can also apply online through the Iowa HHS Benefits Portal, or apply for Medicaid by phone at 1-855-889-7985.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Boone County Hospital in Boone offers financial assistance to people who need medically necessary care and are uninsured, underinsured, not eligible for a government program, or otherwise unable to pay, based on their own financial situation. Financial counseling and payment options are also available. Download the Financial Assistance Application from the hospital's website. For questions about the application, call the Financial Assistance Coordinator at 515-433-8105.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) gives door-to-door public transit rides in Boone County, open to the general public, including people with disabilities. Call 1-877-686-0029, email erides@ridehirta.com, or use the HIRTA On Demand app to book a ride, and tell them the date, time and place. In Boone County, rides run Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fares are one-way: $3.00 in town and $6.00 in the county; trips to Des Moines are $6 from Grimes, Norwalk and Waukee and $25 from other areas. If you are 60 or older, ask whether you qualify for donation-based rides, which are partly funded through Aging Resources of Central Iowa. Drivers pick you up within a 20-minute window and help riders who use a wheelchair or scooter.

Estimated service value: $150–$1,500 a year

The Boone County Commission of Veterans Affairs, at 900 W. 3rd St. in Boone, helps veterans and their dependents apply for federal, state and local benefits, including VA health care enrollment, service-connected disability compensation, pension, Aid and Attendance, survivor (DIC) benefits, home loan certificates, appeals, and the Iowa Veterans Home. Its Veterans Relief Program is county-funded emergency help with rent, food, utilities and burial for Boone County veterans with an honorable discharge who meet income guidelines; it is a last resort, so you must first apply to other agencies. Office hours are Monday to Wednesday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Thursday 8 to 11 a.m. Call 515-433-4904.

Estimated cash: $200–$1,500 a year