Local agency works to assist elderly, disabled community

JACKSON, Tenn. — Southwest Tennessee’s Area Agency on Aging and Disability offers several programs to help the elderly and disabled community across West Tennessee.

“We have public guardianship, we have a Choices program which helps with services in the home for the seniors that qualify,” said Keita Cole, director of MyRide West Tennessee. “We have case management that helps people get qualified for food services, we do volunteer transportation, we have nutrition services.”

The agency helps to keep elderly or disabled adults in their homes by providing assistance.

“It definitely helps them for those that don’t have family members that are available to help or that are in the community that would be willing to help them,” Cole said.

The program also helps older residents with house cleaning, meals, and other services.

“We go to a screening process depending on what they’re needing versus what they qualify for, then we try to get those set up through the house,” Cole said. “That can include house keeping, it can include Meals on Wheels. It can include some care giving services and different things like that.”

The agency also helps residents get SNAP benefits by helping them sign up for those programs.

“By applying for SNAP through Area Agency on Aging, we apply for them,” said SNAP coordinator Rosaland Rogers. “We make sure that they either get approved. We help them take the deductions through shelter and medical costs so that they can get approved for SNAP.”

COVID-19 has impacted the organization by no longer allowing meal deliveries everyday, but only on a weekly basis to limit in person contact.

Cole says the agency has been impacted badly by COVID-19 by losing the majority of their volunteers who were senior citizens.

If you would like to sign up to become a volunteer, call (731) 668-6967.