Senior benefits in Haywood 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 Haywood 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 Haywood 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

Haywood County (county seat Brownsville) no longer has a local acute-care hospital; 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: Haywood: no active in-county acute hospital (Brownsville); 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.

Southwest Human Resource Agency operates rural public transportation for Haywood 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