Free senior resources in the Kansas City metro
Free or low-cost government and nonprofit programs serving older adults and caregivers across the Kansas City metro — on both the Kansas and Missouri sides.
Area Agencies on Aging
Your first call. Each county has an Area Agency on Aging — a public hub that connects adults 60+ to meals, transportation, in-home help, Medicare counseling, and more. The KC metro spans five of them across its seven counties.
Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) — Aging & Adult Services
One call links MO-side older adults to meals, transit, in-home care, Medicare help, legal aid, and the ombudsman.
Johnson County Area Agency on Aging
Information & Assistance specialists connect adults 60+ to services that support independence.
Wyandotte / Leavenworth Area Agency on Aging
Plans and coordinates aging programs: information & assistance, meals, in-home support, ombudsman.
East Central Kansas Area Agency on Aging (ECKAAA)
Arranges in-home services, meals, and aging supports for its region.
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging
Information & assistance, care coordination, caregiver support, and senior nutrition for adults 60+.
Free Medicare Counseling
Free, unbiased, one-on-one help comparing Medicare plans, enrolling, and finding savings programs. These are the official state programs (SHIP) — not insurance salespeople.
SHICK — Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas
Free Medicare counseling from trained volunteers through the state of Kansas.
Missouri SHIP (formerly CLAIM)
Missouri's free, unbiased Medicare counseling program.
Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Independent advocates who investigate and resolve complaints for people living in nursing homes, assisted living, and adult-care facilities. Free and confidential.
Kansas Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Advocates for residents of long-term care facilities; resolves complaints and protects rights.
Missouri State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (DHSS)
Advocates for facility residents; resolves complaints and protects residents’ rights.
Meals & Nutrition
Home-delivered meals (Meals on Wheels) and congregate dining for adults 60+. Most include a daily wellness check.
KC Shepherd's Center — Meals on Wheels
Home-delivered meals plus a daily wellness check (and pet food) for homebound older adults.
The Don Bosco Centers — Meals on Wheels & Congregate Dining
Home-delivered meals with a weekday wellness check, plus dining at the senior center.
Johnson County — Home-Delivered Meals & CHAMPSS
Planned home-delivered meals (diabetic option) plus cafeteria-style congregate meals.
Lawrence Meals on Wheels
Hot, nutritious meals delivered weekdays to homebound elderly or disabled residents; can meet doctor-ordered diets.
Midland Care — Meals on Wheels
Home-delivered meals for homebound or isolated older adults 60+ and eligible caregivers.
Senior Transportation
Door-to-door and accessible rides to appointments, errands, and dialysis for older adults who can’t drive. Most require registration or an eligibility check.
RideKC Freedom & Freedom On-Demand (KCATA)
ADA paratransit (book ahead) and same-day accessible on-demand rides.
Johnson County Catch-a-Ride
Free volunteer-driver rides to medical appointments, food pantries, and agencies.
OATS Transit
Nonprofit specialized transit for seniors, people with disabilities, and rural riders.
Clay County Senior Services — Transportation
Rides to medical appointments, dialysis/therapy, and nursing-home family visits.
Senior Wheels (Senior Resource Center)
Origin-to-destination rides for Douglas County residents 60+, run by the Senior Resource Center.
Lawrence Transit — T Lift
Door-to-door ADA paratransit for riders who can’t use fixed-route buses (eligibility required).
Caregiver Support
Help for the family members and friends doing the caring — counseling, training, respite breaks, and a 24/7 dementia helpline.
Alzheimer's Association — Heart of America Chapter
Free 24/7 Helpline with dementia experts, plus support groups, education, and care consultations.
MARC — Family Caregiver Support Program
Caregiver info, training, and respite (including the Breaktime Club adult day program).
Johnson County — Caregiver Support
Counseling, in-home services, and respite for family caregivers.
Legal Help for Seniors
Free and low-cost civil legal aid for older adults — advice on benefits, housing, consumer issues, powers of attorney, and more.
Kansas Legal Services — Elder Hotline
Free civil legal aid statewide, with a dedicated free legal-advice hotline for Kansans 60+.
Legal Aid of Western Missouri
Free civil legal help for low-income and elderly residents, with senior services through the AAAs.
Report Elder Abuse
To report suspected abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, call your state’s hotline. In an immediate emergency, call 911.
Kansas — DCF Protection Report Center
Statewide 24/7 hotline to report abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of adults.
Missouri — DHSS Adult Abuse & Neglect Hotline
Report abuse, neglect, or exploitation of adults 60+ or disabled adults; investigated by Adult Protective Services.
Benefits & General Information
Not sure where to start? These connect you to food, housing, utility, healthcare, and benefit programs you may qualify for.
United Way 2-1-1
Free, confidential 24/7 referral line to thousands of local services. Just dial 2-1-1.
KanCare (Kansas Medicaid)
Kansas Medicaid for eligible low-income residents, seniors, and people with disabilities.
MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid)
Missouri Medicaid for eligible low-income residents, seniors, and people with disabilities.
BenefitsCheckUp (National Council on Aging)
Free online screening that matches older adults to 2,500+ benefit programs by ZIP code.
Veterans
Older veterans and surviving spouses may qualify for VA health care, pensions, and the Aid & Attendance benefit. These offices help for free.
Kansas City VA Medical Center
Full-service VA care including geriatrics and social work; nine community clinics.
Missouri Veterans Commission
Free claims help — VA pension (basis for Aid & Attendance), compensation, burial, survivor benefits.
Kansas Office of Veterans Services
Free eligibility and claims help from state veterans service representatives.
Hospice & Palliative Care
Comfort-focused care for a serious or terminal illness — managing pain and supporting the whole family, wherever your loved one lives. Most hospice care is fully covered by Medicare.
Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care
Locally owned nonprofit providing end-of-life hospice care, palliative care, and grief support for area families since 1980.
Saint Luke's Home Care & Hospice
Health-system hospice offering in-home care plus the freestanding Saint Luke's Hospice House inpatient facility in midtown KC.
VITAS Healthcare
National hospice and palliative-care provider offering 24/7 end-of-life care across the metro.
Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care
At-home hospice and palliative care addressing patients' physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
National Alliance for Care at Home — Find a Provider
National locator (formerly NHPCO's) to search thousands of hospice, palliative, and home-care agencies by area.
Dental, Vision & Hearing
Medicare usually doesn't cover routine dental, vision, or hearing care. Here's where to find low-cost dental clinics, eye care, glasses, and hearing-aid help.
UMKC School of Dentistry Clinics
Dental-student and resident clinics providing cleanings, fillings, extractions, dentures, and specialty care at roughly one-third to one-half of private rates.
Swope Health
Community health center offering sliding-scale dental care based on income, for insured and uninsured patients alike.
Health Partnership Clinic
Nonprofit health center providing affordable medical and dental care on a sliding fee scale for low-income and uninsured residents.
KU Eye — Lions Vision Clinics
Quarterly free vision clinics (and case-by-case free or discounted eye surgery) for uninsured people who can't otherwise afford eye care.
Lions Clubs — Eyeglass & Hearing Aid Help
Local Lions Clubs help pay for eye exams, free eyeglasses, and refurbished hearing aids for people in need; apply through your nearest club.
Missouri Hearing Aid Distribution Program (MCDHH)
State program (funding permitting) that purchases hearing aids for Missourians at or below the federal poverty level.
Prescription & Medication Help
Ways to lower the cost of medications — from Medicare's Extra Help and state programs to free discount cards and manufacturer patient-assistance.
Medicare Part D Extra Help (Low-Income Subsidy)
Federal subsidy through Social Security that pays most or all Part D drug premiums, deductibles, and copays for people with limited income.
Missouri Rx Plan (MORx)
Missouri's program pays up to 50% of copays, deductibles, and coverage-gap costs for members in both Medicare Part D and MO HealthNet.
GoodRx
Free prescription discount app and card that compares cash prices across pharmacies and provides coupons that can beat insurance copays.
NeedyMeds
Nonprofit with a free searchable database of manufacturer patient-assistance programs, drug coupons, and free or low-cost clinics.
NCOA BenefitsCheckUp
Free, confidential online tool that matches older adults to prescription-assistance programs, Part D Extra Help, and other benefits.
SHICK — Medicare Counseling for Kansas
Free, unbiased counseling that helps Kansans compare Part D drug plans and enroll in Extra Help and Medicare Savings Programs.
Mental Health & Grief Support
Depression, anxiety, grief, and loneliness are common in later life — and treatable. Free crisis lines and local counseling for older adults and caregivers.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Free, confidential 24/7 crisis support by call, text, or chat for anyone in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov & Helpline
Government locator for licensed mental-health and substance-use providers, plus a 24/7 free treatment-referral helpline.
Johnson County Mental Health — Older Adult Team
County center with a dedicated older-adult team providing therapy, psychiatric care, and help with basic needs, plus a 24/7 crisis line.
Wyandot Behavioral Health Network
Safety-net community provider offering adult therapy, psychiatric care, substance-use counseling, and a 24/7 crisis line.
Kansas City Hospice — Grief Support
Professionally facilitated bereavement and grief support groups open to the community, regardless of hospice affiliation.
Institute on Aging Friendship Line
The nation's only accredited 24/7 warmline and emotional-support line built specifically for isolated or lonely older adults and caregivers.
Food & Nutrition
Beyond Meals on Wheels — food benefits, free senior food boxes, farmers-market vouchers, and how to find a nearby pantry.
Kansas Food Assistance (SNAP) — KS DCF
SNAP food benefits with senior-friendly rules (households 60+ skip the gross-income test and get a higher asset limit).
Missouri SNAP / Food Stamps — MO DSS
Monthly food benefits; seniors 60+ get an excess-medical deduction, higher asset limit, and no gross-income test.
CSFP Senior Food Box (via Harvesters)
A free monthly USDA food box of shelf-stable staples for adults 60+ at or under 150% of poverty.
Kansas Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
Seasonal coupons for low-income seniors 60+ to buy fresh produce, herbs, and honey at participating farmers markets (Kansas only).
Harvesters — Community Food Network
The KC regional food bank; use its online Food Finder to locate nearby pantries, senior mobile pantries, and distribution sites.
Free & Community Meals
Free, hot, prepared meals open to anyone who needs one — no questions asked.
Bishop Sullivan Center — One City Café
Free, healthy hot lunch and dinner served to anyone every weekday at no cost.
NourishKC (Kansas City Community Kitchen)
Free, restaurant-style nutritious lunch served to all every weekday, no questions asked.
The Micah Ministry (Independence Blvd Christian Church)
A free warm meal plus clothing, hygiene items, and a free medical clinic every Monday evening.
City Union Mission
Daily nutritious meals and food for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Salvation Army — Kansas & Western Missouri
Community dinners and meal services at local corps community centers across the metro.
Free Clothing
Free clothing closets and assistance for those who need coats, everyday clothes, and basics.
Cross-Lines Community Outreach
A free monthly clothing voucher lets individuals and families shop the thrift store for clothing.
Community Services League
Clients receiving assistance can also shop for free clothing and personal hygiene items as available.
Bishop Sullivan Center Clothes Closet
Free clothes closet with everyday, school, and work clothing for adults and children, plus coats, hats, and gloves in winter.
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas
Emergency-assistance program providing free clothing and basic-needs help to low-income households.
Salvation Army — Kansas & Western Missouri
Local corps centers provide free clothing and household-goods assistance to those in need.
Uplift Organization
Mobile street outreach delivers free clothing, blankets, hygiene kits, and meals directly to people living unsheltered.
Home Services & Repair
Help keeping up a home — handyman and chore services, plus weatherization and repair-grant programs for those who qualify. (See also our guide to home modifications for aging in place.)
Shepherd's Center of KCK — Minor Home Repair
Volunteer handymen do small repairs for older homeowners — minor plumbing/electrical, grab bars, light fixtures, painting, and yard work.
JFS Help@Home — Jewish Family Services
Sliding-scale membership providing dependable minor home repairs, chores, grab-bar/handrail installs, and home-safety checks.
Kansas Weatherization Assistance (KHRC)
Free energy-efficiency upgrades — insulation, air-sealing, caulking — with priority for elderly and disabled households.
Missouri Weatherization Assistance
Free home weatherization through local agencies to lower energy bills for low-income households.
USDA Section 504 Home Repair Loans & Grants
Very-low-income homeowners 62+ can get grants up to $10,000 (or 1% loans up to $40,000) to fix health and safety hazards.
Habitat for Humanity KC — Home Preservation
Critical and minor home repairs addressing safety, accessibility, and health for lower-income homeowners (most served are 65+).
Technology & Internet Help
Free, patient help getting comfortable with phones, tablets, and the internet — plus low-cost internet options.
Kansas City Public Library — Tech Access
Free one-on-one Tech Coach sessions plus live online classes for older adults on smartphones, online safety, and video calls.
Mid-Continent Public Library — Tech Help
Free computer-basics classes, drop-in tech help, and self-paced digital-literacy courses.
Johnson County Library — Computer Skills
Free digital-literacy classes and one-on-one technology help, plus online tutorials for computer and internet basics.
Senior Planet from AARP
Free live virtual technology classes for adults 60+ on smartphones, online banking, telemedicine, and staying connected.
FCC Lifeline Program
Federal benefit that lowers the monthly cost of home internet or phone for income-eligible households (the larger ACP ended in 2024).
AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline
Free helpline and alerts that help older adults recognize and avoid tech-enabled scams, phishing, and online fraud.
Financial & Benefits Help
Help managing money and benefits — housing and reverse-mortgage counseling, Social Security, bill-pay assistance, and benefits screening.
HUD-Approved Housing Counseling
Free or low-cost HUD-certified counselors for reverse-mortgage (HECM) counseling, foreclosure prevention, and housing decisions.
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Federal retirement, survivors, disability, and SSI benefits; apply online, by phone, or at local KC-metro field offices.
KC Shepherd's Center — Daily Money Management
Volunteer-supported bill-pay and money-management help for older adults who need help organizing finances, at little to no cost.
NCOA BenefitsCheckUp
Free, confidential screening that checks eligibility for nearly 2,000 benefit programs (SNAP, Medicare Savings, Extra Help, LIHEAP).
Energy Assistance (LIHEAP / LIEAP)
Federally funded help paying home heating and cooling bills — MO metro via MAAC, Kansas via state DCF.
United Way 211
Free 24/7 helpline connecting seniors to benefits enrollment, financial counseling, and rent/utility aid.
Funeral & Burial Help
Practical, affordable end-of-life planning — veterans' burial benefits, Social Security's death benefit, price transparency, and help when a family can't afford a burial.
Funeral Consumers Alliance of Greater KC
Nonprofit offering unbiased pre-planning guidance and a price survey of 100+ area funeral homes so families can compare costs.
Social Security Lump-Sum Death Benefit
A one-time $255 payment to an eligible surviving spouse or dependent child; claim within two years by phone or at an SSA office.
Leavenworth National Cemetery (VA Burial)
No-cost gravesite, headstone, and perpetual care for eligible veterans and spouses; VA also offers a burial allowance and free markers.
Indigent Burial & Funeral Fund (GKCCF)
Reimburses counties up to $750 toward burial or cremation of indigent persons with no estate and no family able to pay.
County Indigent Burial / Cremation Assistance
By law, counties arrange and pay for burial or cremation of unclaimed or indigent decedents; apply via the county coroner or social services.
FTC Funeral Rule — Shopping for Services
Federal guidance on your right to an itemized price list, to buy only what you want, and how to pre-plan without overpaying.
Medical Equipment & Alert Systems
Where to borrow (free loan closets first), rent, buy, or sell wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, and other equipment — plus how medical alert (fall-alert) systems work. See our full guide to mobility equipment in Kansas City.
Center of Grace — Medical Equipment Loan
Faith-based ministry that lends durable medical equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, commodes, bath aids) free for short-term use.
Independence, Inc. — Equipment Loan Bank
Center for independent living that loans recycled durable medical equipment at low or no cost, with no one turned away.
Assistive Technology for Kansans (KEE Reuse)
State program providing refurbished durable medical equipment (wheelchairs, hospital beds, lifts, shower chairs) to eligible Kansans.
Missouri Assistive Technology — Device Reuse
State program that refurbishes and redistributes gently used assistive and durable medical equipment to Missourians.
KC Mobility Scooter Rentals
Local, veteran-owned company that rents mobility scooters, wheelchairs, transport chairs, and rollators — for recovery, events, or travel — and buys and sells used mobility equipment at fair prices. (An affiliated KC Senior Guide company.)
NCOA — Medical Alert Systems Guide
Independent, hands-on reviews explaining how medical alert / personal emergency response systems work and what to compare before buying.
Volunteering & Senior Jobs
Stay active, earn a little, or give back — senior employment programs and volunteer opportunities across the metro.
AARP Foundation SCSEP
Paid, part-time community-service training (about 20 hrs/week) that helps low-income jobseekers 55+ build skills toward permanent work.
AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP — United Way of KC
Connects volunteers 55+ with area nonprofits for flexible service, choosing how, where, and how often they serve.
AmeriCorps Seniors — Foster Grandparent / Senior Companion
Engages adults 55+ in mentoring children or providing companionship to homebound seniors, with a modest tax-free stipend for those who qualify.
AARP Job Search & Back to Work 50+
Free job board, résumé and interview tools, and coaching for jobseekers 50+, including part-time and self-employment paths.
United Way of Greater KC — Volunteer Center
Matches people to local volunteer opportunities and connects callers to community services through 211.
VolunteerMatch — Kansas City
Free online database to search local volunteer openings by cause, skill, and location.
LGBTQ+ & Community-Specific
Support and belonging for LGBTQ+ elders and specific cultural communities.
SAGE (Services & Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Elders)
The oldest and largest national organization for LGBTQ+ older adults — services, advocacy, and a national LGBT Elder Hotline.
National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging
Information and support for LGBTQ+ elders, families, and caregivers on aging, caregiving, and inclusive services.
Kansas City Center for Inclusion
KC's LGBTQ+ community center with older-adult programming — monthly SAGE meetings, a friendly-visitor program, and referrals.
PROMO — Missourians Aging with Pride
Statewide LGBTQ+ program providing advocacy, information and referral, and education for older LGBTQ+ adults.
Guadalupe Centers — Older Adults Program
MARC-designated senior center providing culturally and linguistically appropriate meals, health education, and services for Latino elders 60+.
Don Bosco Senior Center
Long-standing multicultural senior center serving immigrant, refugee, and diverse older adults 60+ with meals, transportation, and wellness classes.
Senior Centers
Local gathering places for meals, fitness, classes, and friendship — most serve adults 50 or 60+ and many offer transportation. We track 43 senior centers across the metro, organized by county.
County Senior Services & Aging Offices
County-run aging offices that coordinate meals, transportation, in-home support, and referrals for their residents.
Clay County Senior Services
A taxpayer-funded public senior-services agency providing transportation, home-delivered and congregate meals, in-home services, wellness programs, and information and referral for Clay County residents 60+.
Leavenworth County Council on Aging
A county government department serving residents 50+ and caregivers with information and assistance, a nutrition program, transportation, attendant and chore support, legal services, and health-insurance counseling.
Cass County Council on Aging
A nonprofit (since 1979) serving Cass County older adults from its Harrisonville senior center — congregate and home-delivered meals, OATS transportation, health screenings, day trips, bingo, and a monthly dance.
Senior Resource Center for Douglas County
The main senior hub for Douglas County — Medicare/insurance help (SHICK), case management and social services, Senior Wheels transportation, plus on-site meals, classes, and activities for older adults.
Community Organizations
Nonprofits that help older adults stay independent — volunteer rides, in-home help, friendly visits, and culturally-specific support.
KC Shepherd's Center (Central)
An interfaith volunteer nonprofit serving older adults in central KC with medical-appointment transportation, handyman and in-home help, enrichment programs, and social activities. The flagship of the national Shepherd's Centers movement, founded in KC in 1972.
Northland Shepherd's Center
A volunteer nonprofit that helps Northland older adults age in place with volunteer transportation to medical appointments, grocery and errand assistance, friendly visits, and referrals.
Shepherd's Center of Kansas City, Kansas
An interfaith nonprofit supporting older adults in Wyandotte County with transportation, in-home help, and enrichment programs to help seniors remain independent.
Guadalupe Centers — Older Adults Program
A century-old nonprofit serving KC's Latino community; its Older Adults Program (a MARC-designated senior center) offers congregate and home-delivered meals, exercise, health screenings, transportation, and social activities for those 60+.
El Centro, Inc.
A Latino-serving community nonprofit (founded 1976) offering educational, social, and economic programs including health navigation (Promotoras de Salud) that can connect older adults and families to local resources.
Jewish Family Services — Older Adult Services & Help@Home
A nonprofit serving people of all faiths; its Older Adult Services and Help@Home program provide case management, minor home repairs and chore help, transportation, one-on-one tech help, and home-safety assessments to keep adults 60+ living independently.
The Whole Person
A nonprofit Center for Independent Living (since 1978) helping people with disabilities — including older adults — live independently, with skills training, advocacy, peer support, information & referral, and home- and community-based care.
Shepherd's Center of Raytown
An interfaith volunteer nonprofit for adults 55+ with 'Wheels that Care' volunteer medical transportation, Meals on Wheels, handyman help, exercise classes, and Adventures in Learning lifelong-learning programs.
Listings verified June 2026 from official sources and provided for information only — they are not endorsements. Programs, phone numbers, and eligibility change; please confirm details directly with each organization.