Senior benefits in Jasper County, Iowa

Aging Resources of Central Iowa is the Area Agency on Aging for Jasper 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 Jasper County, IMPACT Community Action Partnership takes LIHEAP applications by appointment (phone or in person) or online. IMPACT holds LIHEAP pop-up events around Jasper County during the season; call to find the next one. 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 Jasper County at 315 West 3rd Street North, Newton. Phone: 641-792-1955 or toll free 800-342-0829. 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

MercyOne Newton Medical Center in Newton is part of MercyOne, which gives financial assistance to low-income people and people with special health care costs who live in its service area. It can be used for medically necessary hospital care, including inpatient, emergency and outpatient medical group services; it does not cover cosmetic surgery, care that is not medically necessary, or out-of-network care. MercyOne will not take legal action, place a lien or report you to a credit bureau while you are applying for or getting financial assistance. Download and complete the Financial Assistance Application. Staff can also screen you for Medicaid and other programs. For the Newton hospital, call 734-343-3065.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) gives door-to-door public transit rides in Jasper 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 Jasper County, rides in the city of Newton run Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; call for all other rides in the county. 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

Jasper County Veterans Affairs, at 315 W. 3rd St. N., Suite 250 in Newton, gives emergency financial help with food, utilities and rent or mortgage to eligible veterans, spouses and children. The veteran must have at least 90 days of federal active duty (other than training), or 20 years in the Reserves or Iowa National Guard, and a discharge other than dishonorable. Staff also help with VA compensation, VA pension, Veteran Readiness and Employment, Iowa Veterans Home and Iowa Veterans Trust Fund applications, and can arrange rides through Jasper Rides. Walk-ins are welcome, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday; apply in person at the office. Call 641-792-7993.

Estimated cash: $200–$1,500 a year