How to Start a Polk County Aging or Disability Needs Screening
Use one local intake call to screen for home help, meals, caregiver support, transportation, benefits, and long-term-care routes.
Start here
Call the Senior Connection Center Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337. It serves Polk County older adults, adults with disabilities, families, and caregivers and can explain which referrals or screenings fit.
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
See Elder Helpline servicesWhat to have ready
- Age, Polk County ZIP code, phone number, and living arrangement
- Help needed with bathing, meals, movement, medicine, memory, or supervision
- Current family or unpaid help and whether it can continue
- Recent falls, hospital stays, caregiver loss, or urgent changes
Words you can use
“I need a needs screening for a Polk County resident. Please screen for home help, meals, respite, transportation, benefits, and long-term-care options, and tell me what starts each application.”
Steps in order
- 1
Lead with the most unsafe daily task or recent change.
- 2
Ask which programs the intake screens for and which require another agency.
- 3
Write down each referral, contact, and follow-up date.
- 4
Request a new screening after a major decline or caregiver loss.
If the first answer is no or wait
Ask whether another service can address the urgent task while the preferred program is unavailable. A referral does not guarantee eligibility, funding, or an opening.
Official sources
Sources checked August 9, 2026. Confirm eligibility, hours, cost, service area, and current availability directly.
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