The agency that coordinates services for older residents of Grayson, Fannin and Cooke counties plans to start offering help with yard work and other household chores under a three-year plan covering federal fiscal years 2027 through 2029.
The Area Agency on Aging of Texoma, part of the Texoma Council of Governments in Sherman, shaped the plan around town hall meetings held earlier this year in each of the three counties, director Cara Lavender told KTEN. KTEN reported that the plan has won approval from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
The draft posted on the council's website was marked as pending state approval and lists the surveys and town halls behind it.
What seniors asked for
Transportation led the list. "Transportation was the number one thing that was brought up," Lavender told KTEN. In the draft, 16 of 42 written-in suggestions for new services dealt with getting around. The agency pays for rides for people 60 and older through a contract with TAPS Public Transit, and the plan says the service is often described in the community as unreliable or late.
Help around the house came next, with six of the 42 comments. The plan says many older residents handle their own personal care but struggle with heavy cleaning, meal preparation and mowing, and cannot afford to hire someone. Chore maintenance is the new service for this cycle.
"A lot of seniors were telling us they have issues cutting their lawn, or cutting trees," Lavender said.
Current programs stay in place, according to the plan, including Meals on Wheels, benefits counseling, homemaker help, in-home respite for family caregivers and small home repairs such as ramps and grab bars.
