Senior benefits in Dallas County, Iowa

Aging Resources of Central Iowa is the Area Agency on Aging for Dallas 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 Dallas County, New Opportunities takes LIHEAP applications through its Dallas County Outreach Office at 2816 1st Ave in Perry, open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are also offered in Adel from November to April. Your energy assistance application is also an application for weatherization of your home. Call 515-465-5185 to schedule an appointment.

Estimated bill savings: $80–$800 a year

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lists an office for Dallas County at 25747 N Ave., Suite A, Adel. Phone: 515-993-5817. 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

Dallas County Hospital in Perry offers financial assistance for people who need help with medical bills, including people with no insurance and people whose insurance does not cover enough. If you qualify, it can cover all or part of medically necessary care at the hospital, such as emergency room visits, lab work, outpatient surgery, inpatient and outpatient care, and medicines given during your care. It does not cover Mercy Family Care, the specialty clinics in the hospital building, or outside lab charges. Ask the Patient Access staff for an application, or call the hospital at 515-465-3547. The DCH Family Medicine clinics in Perry and Panora have a separate sliding fee program based on family size and income; call 515-465-7587.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) gives door-to-door public transit rides in Dallas 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 Dallas County, rides run Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; service in the city of Perry runs Monday and Friday only. 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

Dallas County Veterans Affairs, run by the Dallas County Veterans Commission, helps veterans and their dependents learn about and apply for federal, state and county benefits, including compensation, pensions, hospital care, insurance and education benefits. Staff complete and submit the forms, and there is no charge for any service. The office is at 800 Court Street, Room 230 (Administration Building, 2nd floor) in Adel, open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 515-993-5809.

Estimated cash: about $0 a year