Senior benefits in Cherokee County, Oklahoma

The Eastern Oklahoma Development District (EODD) Area Agency on Aging serves people 60 and older in Cherokee County and six nearby counties. It offers information and assistance, outreach to connect seniors with in-home help, senior meals at nutrition centers or home-delivered meals for homebound people, rides to meal sites, doctor visits and shopping, family caregiver help, and the long-term care ombudsman. Free legal help for people 60 and over comes through Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma. Call EODD at 918-682-7891.

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

Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS, often called DHS) has an access point for Cherokee County at 1295 Skills Center Dr., Tahlequah, OK 74464. It is open Mondays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and offers help with SNAP, child care and medical (SoonerCare) benefits. EBT cards are not issued at this location. You can also apply online any time at OKDHSLive.org. Staff can help with SNAP food benefits, SoonerCare (Medicaid) for people 65 or older or disabled, and energy help (LIHEAP). You can drop off a printed SNAP Request for Benefits form at a local office, and LIHEAP applicants can turn in proof there. For help applying, call 405-522-5050. To report abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult, call the hotline at 1-800-522-3511.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Northeastern Health System (NHS) in Tahlequah has a financial assistance program for patients who face hardship from hospital bills. Fill out the NHS Financial Assistance Application and send copies of the documents it asks for. Retired or disabled applicants send Social Security or pension benefit statements, two months of complete bank statements, any SNAP or housing assistance papers, and two recent months of rent or mortgage and utility receipts. The application must have all documents before it can be processed. For billing and financial help, call Patient Financial Services at 918-207-0987.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

KI BOIS Area Transit System (KATS), run by KI BOIS Community Action, is a rural public transit service open to the public in Cherokee County and 11 other eastern Oklahoma counties. It gives curb-to-curb rides, or door-to-door rides for special needs, in vehicles built to carry people with disabilities. KATS helps senior citizens live more independently with safe, dependable rides. Rides are based on availability, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To ask about a ride, call the Tahlequah KATS office at 918-453-1155. In town, a ride costs $2.00 per stop for adults and $1.00 per stop for veterans. Evening PICK service costs $3.00 per stop.

Estimated service value: $50–$1,000 a year