Senior benefits in Chester County, Tennessee

The Southwest Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability serves older adults age 60 and older, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers in Chester County. Services include congregate and home-delivered meals, family caregiver support and respite, SHIP Medicare counseling, options counseling for long-term care, the long-term care ombudsman, and public guardianship. Call the Information and Assistance line to learn what is available locally.

Estimated service value: $1,000–$6,000 a year

Tennessee's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps pay heating and cooling costs for income-eligible households. In Chester County, LIHEAP is delivered by Southwest Human Resource Agency, which offers year-round regular assistance and fast-track crisis assistance for households facing disconnection. Households with an older adult, a person with a disability, or a young child get priority. Apply through Southwest Human Resource Agency, and call 2-1-1 Tennessee for referral help. The Tennessee Housing Development Agency administers the program statewide.

Estimated bill savings: $174–$750 a year

Chester County (county seat Henderson, Tennessee) has no hospital of its own; residents are served mainly by West Tennessee Healthcare, whose nearest hospital is Jackson-Madison County General in Jackson (Madison County). The system offers financial assistance (charity care) and uninsured discounts. Free care is generally available below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, with sliding-scale discounts for uninsured patients between 200% and 400%. Call Patient Financial Services for an application.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

In this county: Chester: no in-county hospital; nearest is West Tennessee Healthcare in Jackson. Charity care is income-based and decided under the system's published financial assistance policy; the hospital makes the final decision.

Volunteer drivers give Chester County seniors age 60 and older door-through-door rides to doctor appointments, grocery shopping, the barber or beauty shop, and social gatherings. A yearly membership costs $25 and includes the first 3 rides; each ride after that is $2. Riders must be able to walk on their own or with a walker or cane. Call MyRide West Tennessee at 1-844-803-0169 to join or to book a ride.

Southwest Human Resource Agency operates rural public transportation for Chester County, linking residents to doctors, grocery stores, senior centers, employment, and recreation, with medical trips to Jackson, Memphis, and Nashville. The service is open to the general public and is designed to help older adults, people with disabilities, and riders with medical needs. Call the dispatch center at least 24 hours ahead to schedule a ride and confirm the fare.

Estimated service value: $200–$1,500 a year