At the last several meetings of the Dallas County Board of Supervisors, one of the frequent topics of conversation has been the fate of Homecare Services.

It was announced recently that Homecare will be ceasing its activities at the end of August, which was largely caused by Heart of Iowa Regional Transport Authority (HIRTA) taking over as the direct provider of transportation services in the County. Prior to that, Homecare contracted the vehicles from HIRTA, which was a considerable source of revenue. With HIRTA’s decision, things began to unravel for the in-home senior care provider, eventually leading to the Supervisors terminating their contract for inmate meals at Dallas County Jail. To compensate for Homecare’s impending closure, the County is now looking to cover the services they had previously provided with other entities, both public and private. For example, the inmate meals will be provided through Hy-Vee moving forward, at least until the new law enforcement center is finished.

One concern the Supervisors are attempting to address is the operation of congregate meals in Perry, Adel, and Waukee, as well as the in-home meals for several dozen elderly residents in the County. At a recent meeting, the Board talked with representatives from Aging Resources and Dallas County Community Services. The Aging Resources group said they had concerns of being short-staffed when providing the meals, as well as where the meals come from and who pays for them. The Supervisors promised to look into the issues, and more discussion will be had at future meetings.