Senior benefits in Pawnee County, Kansas

The Southwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging (SWKAAA) serves older Kansans and people with disabilities in Pawnee County and 27 other counties in southwest Kansas. Its services include case management, help paying for in-home care (such as personal care, homemaker, respite and chore services), information and assistance, free Medicare counseling (SHICK), caregiver support, and Friendship Meals at meal sites or delivered to people who are homebound. Friendship Meals are for people 60 and older and their spouses. SWKAAA also does the CARE assessment that everyone must have before entering a nursing home. SWKAAA's resource list for Pawnee County names local senior centers such as Welcome Inn Leisure Center in Larned and Burdett Senior Center. Call the main office in Dodge City at 620-225-8230 (toll free 1-800-742-9531), Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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

Pawnee County is in the Southwest Region of the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). Service centers in DCF's Southwest Region include Dodge City, Garden City, Great Bend and Liberal. Through DCF you can apply for SNAP Food Assistance, TANF Cash Assistance and LIEAP Energy Assistance. Applying online through the DCF Self-Service Portal is recommended. For a paper application, visit your local DCF office or call 1-888-369-4777. LIEAP helps pay winter heating costs and is open only during its yearly application period. KanCare health coverage is not handled by DCF; apply for it through the KanCare Self-Service Portal.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned offers financial assistance. Its billing is handled by HaysMed. To apply, call a Customer Service Representative at 785-623-5100 to talk about your finances, then fill out the Financial Assistance Application. Send it with your recent pay stubs, your Social Security benefit statement if you get one, last month's bank statements, and your latest tax return. Until your application is reviewed and approved, you are still responsible for your bill. Questions: 785-623-5100 or toll free 800-260-7090.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Sunflower Diversified Services runs general public transportation for anyone in Pawnee County. The Pawnee County route runs two times each weekday, in the morning (6 to 9 a.m.) and afternoon (3 to 7 p.m.). A one-way trip costs $3, or you can buy 20 trips for $60. Rides are first come, first served, so book the day before if you can. Call 620-792-7797, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Southwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging also lists Burdett Seniors, Inc. (620-525-6655) for Burdett and the area around it, and the Welcome Inn Leisure Center (620-285-3504) for eastern Pawnee County.

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