Davidson County, TN Senior Help Directory: Nashville Programs for Seniors and Families (2026)

Free, plain-English help for seniors and families in Davidson County, TN. Education, not advice. Verify before you rely on it.

Start here (works anywhere)

• 211 (dial 2-1-1), Eldercare Locator 1-800-677-1116, BenefitsCheckUp.org, Medicare 1-800-633-4227, Social Security 1-800-772-1213, VA 1-800-827-1000, Alzheimer's 24/7 Helpline 1-800-272-3900, National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-372-8311, Crisis Lifeline 988

Three local front doors: 211 | Greater Nashville Regional Council Area Agency on Aging and Disability (AAAD), the Nashville-area line for Medicare counseling, home-delivered meals, in-home help, caregiver support, legal help, and transportation (615-255-1010 or 1-866-836-6678, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) | Office of the Metropolitan Trustee for senior property tax relief and freeze (615-862-6330)

Property tax relief (apply with the Office of the Metropolitan Trustee, Howard Office Building, 700 President Ronald Reagan Way, Suite 220, Nashville, TN 37210; 615-862-6330)

Nashville and Davidson County share one consolidated Metropolitan Government, so there is one Trustee's office for the whole county. Tennessee runs two separate senior programs, both filed through the Trustee, so it is worth calling to have them walk you through everything you qualify for. You must apply and pay your taxes in full by the deadline in early April; for the 2025 tax year the deadline was April 5, 2026 (the last in-office day was April 4). Bring proof of age, proof that the home is your primary residence, and income records for all owners and any spouse.

• Tennessee Property Tax Relief Program (state rebate): for homeowners age 65 and older, or those totally and permanently disabled through Social Security, who use the home as their primary residence. This is a state-funded rebate on a portion of the taxes on the first part of the home's value. The combined-income limit for the 2025 tax year is $37,530 for all owners and any spouse, based on 2024 income.
• Tennessee Property Tax Freeze Program (Davidson County): for homeowners age 65 and older, this freezes the dollar amount of tax on your primary residence at the amount you owed the year you first qualify, so later rate increases will not raise it. The income limit is set for each county, and Davidson County's limit for the 2025 tax year is $61,920 (based on 2024 income), well above the relief-program limit. Ask the Trustee for the current Davidson County freeze limit.
• Disabled veteran homeowners and their surviving spouses: Tennessee offers additional property tax relief for qualifying disabled veterans and surviving spouses through the same Trustee's office. Ask the Trustee what documentation the state requires.
• The one move: call the Office of the Metropolitan Trustee at 615-862-6330 and ask them to confirm the Property Tax Relief rebate and the Property Tax Freeze you qualify for, and to tell you which documents and income proof to bring and the exact filing deadline this year.

Food

• FiftyForward Fresh / Meals on Wheels delivers healthy meals to the doorsteps of homebound older adults on set routes across Nashville and Davidson County (and neighboring Williamson and Rutherford counties). Call the FiftyForward Resource Line at 615-743-3416 to ask about starting home-delivered meals.
• Metro Social Services (Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County) also provides home-delivered meals to eligible homebound seniors and disabled residents, plus congregate meals at senior centers around the county. Call Metro Social Services at 615-880-2292, or reach the Greater Nashville Regional Council AAAD at 615-255-1010 to ask for a home-delivered meal assessment.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is the regional food bank, at 331 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN 37228 (615-329-3491). It supplies a large network of partner pantries and runs the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), a monthly box of nutritious USDA food for income-eligible Davidson County residents age 60 and older. Find a pantry or ask about CSFP at secondharvestmidtn.org or by dialing 211.
• SNAP (food stamps) is based on income, not age, so households of any age can qualify. Apply through TennCare Connect / Tennessee Department of Human Services online at tn.gov, or call 1-866-311-4287 to find your local DHS office.

Energy and utility help

• LIHEAP (the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) for Davidson County is run by the Metropolitan Action Commission (Metro Action Commission), the local community action agency, at Airways Plaza, 1281 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37217 (615-862-8860). LIHEAP helps pay electric, gas, propane, and other home-energy bills, and offers crisis help for shutoff notices or being out of fuel. Applications are taken online through Metro Action's application portal, and seniors are among those prioritized. Reach Metro Action at 615-862-8860 or nashville.gov (search Metro Action energy assistance).
• 211 is the fastest way to find a local crisis fund or church ministry with money for a past-due utility bill, and your utility (Nashville Electric Service or Piedmont Natural Gas) may offer its own customer assistance for past-due accounts.

Medicare, Medicaid, prescriptions

• Tennessee's SHIP program is TN SHIP (the State Health Insurance Assistance Program), delivered locally through the Greater Nashville Regional Council AAAD. It is free, unbiased one-on-one help with Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D drug plans, Medigap, enrollment, appeals, and fraud. Call TN SHIP statewide at 1-877-801-0044 or the GNRC AAAD at 615-255-1010. Start here before any Medicare decision.
• Medicaid in Tennessee is TennCare. Apply online at TennCareConnect.tn.gov or by phone at 1-855-259-0701 (TTY/Tennessee Relay 1-800-848-0298). TennCare can help pay Medicare premiums and long-term-care costs for those who qualify.
• Medicare Savings Programs (help paying Part A and B premiums) and Extra Help / the Low-Income Subsidy (lower Part D drug costs) are screened and applied for through TN SHIP (1-877-801-0044) and Social Security (1-800-772-1213).
• Tennessee has no broad statewide drug-payment program for general seniors, so use TN SHIP to apply for Extra Help and BenefitsCheckUp.org to find manufacturer and nonprofit patient assistance programs for specific medications.

Home repair and safety

• Rebuilding Together Nashville makes free critical home repairs and accessibility modifications for low-income homeowners, with a special focus on older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans. Common work includes wheelchair ramps, floor and plumbing repairs, and fall-prevention and safety fixes through its Safe and Healthy Home Improvement Program (SHHIP). Call 615-297-3955 or visit rtnashville.org/get-help.
• Weatherization (free insulation, air sealing, and heating and cooling safety work for income-eligible households, with older adults served first) is delivered in Davidson County by the Metropolitan Action Commission. Ask about weatherization at 615-862-8860.
• Dial 211 to find other ramp-building and accessibility-modification help from area nonprofits, and ask the GNRC AAAD (615-255-1010) what minor home-repair or safety help they can connect you to.

Rent, housing, emergency cash

• 211 is the fastest route to temporary rent and utility help near you and will point you to whichever local ministry or fund has money right now.
• The Metropolitan Action Commission (615-862-8860) runs energy, self-sufficiency, and basic-needs programs for income-eligible Davidson County residents.
• The Salvation Army of Nashville, St. Vincent de Paul, and area church ministries provide emergency rent, utility, and food assistance; 211 can route you to whichever has funds available.
• For Medicaid, food, and cash programs, apply through TennCare Connect (1-855-259-0701) or the Tennessee Department of Human Services (1-866-311-4287).

Transportation

• WeGo Access is the ADA paratransit service for people whose disability prevents them from using WeGo's regular fixed-route buses within Nashville and Davidson County. It is door-to-door service, and you must apply and complete an in-person eligibility assessment first. Rides are reserved one to seven days in advance. Call the WeGo Access Eligibility Specialist at 615-880-3596 (Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to start the application or ask questions.
• Senior Ride Nashville provides door-through-door volunteer rides to residents 60 and older in Davidson County (serving West Nashville, Madison, Donelson, Hermitage, Old Hickory, and East Nashville) for doctor visits, groceries, the pharmacy, and other errands. Call 615-610-4040 to request an application. Note there is often a waitlist for new members.
• Tennesseans with full TennCare and no other way to travel may qualify for free non-emergency medical transportation to covered appointments; ask your TennCare plan.
• Ask the GNRC AAAD (615-255-1010) about other senior-center and human-services transportation for older adults in Davidson County.

Legal help

• The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands provides free civil legal help to lower-income residents and to older adults across Nashville and Middle Tennessee, on issues like powers of attorney, wills, TennCare and public benefits, housing, consumer problems, and scams. Nashville office: 1321 Murfreesboro Pike, Suite 400, Nashville, TN 37217 (615-244-6610 or toll-free 1-800-238-1443). Call before visiting, as help is often by appointment or by phone.
• The Greater Nashville Regional Council AAAD (615-255-1010) provides legal services and benefits counseling for older adults and can refer you to the right legal aid program.
• Tennessee does not run a single statewide senior legal helpline the way some states do, so the regional legal aid office and the AAAD are the front doors for free civil legal help for older adults.

Caregiver support

• The Greater Nashville Regional Council AAAD runs the Family Caregiver Support Program for the Nashville region: respite care to give caregivers a break, supplemental services, education on Alzheimer's and other dementias, and connection to support groups and counseling. Call 615-255-1010 or 1-866-836-6678.
• The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (1-800-272-3900) is there any hour for dementia caregiving questions, and the GNRC AAAD can connect caregivers to adult day, homemaker, and in-home respite in Davidson County.

Staying at home instead of a nursing home

• TennCare CHOICES is Tennessee's Medicaid long-term services and supports program. It pays for in-home care (personal care, home-delivered meals, adult day care, and other supports) for people 65 and older, and adults with physical disabilities, who would otherwise need a nursing home but can live safely at home with help, as well as for those at risk who need care to delay a nursing home. Apply through the LTSS Help Desk at 1-877-224-0219, or call the Intake and Assistance line at 1-866-836-6678 and choose Option 1. The GNRC AAAD (615-255-1010) can also help you start.
• PACE (the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) wraps all medical care, therapy, a day center, home care, and meals into one program for people 55 and older who meet a nursing-home level of care but can live at home with help. Tennessee has a PACE program, but the operating site most commonly listed is Alexian PACE in the Chattanooga area (423-698-0802). To find out whether a PACE program serves the Nashville area, call the GNRC AAAD (615-255-1010), TennCare, or the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116).
• The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can help you compare programs. Home-delivered meals, in-home help, and paratransit rides also help an older adult stay in the home longer.

Frequently asked questions

Mom is 66 in Nashville on a fixed income. Can she cut or freeze her property taxes? Likely yes. Davidson County offers both the state Property Tax Relief rebate (for owners 65+ or disabled with combined income of $37,530 or less) and the Property Tax Freeze (for owners 65+ with income of $61,920 or less, much higher than the relief limit). Call the Office of the Metropolitan Trustee at 615-862-6330, ask which programs she qualifies for and the current income limits, and file by the early-April deadline (April 5, 2026 for the 2025 tax year) with proof of age, residency, and income.

Dad is homebound in Davidson County and can't cook anymore. How do we get him meals? Call FiftyForward Fresh / Meals on Wheels at 615-743-3416 or Metro Social Services at 615-880-2292 to ask for a home-delivered meal assessment. If you need food sooner, find a pantry through Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee (secondharvestmidtn.org, 615-329-3491) or by dialing 211, and ask about the CSFP monthly food box for residents 60 and older.

My parent can't drive and needs rides to the doctor in Nashville. What is available? If a disability keeps your parent from using regular WeGo buses, apply for WeGo Access ADA paratransit and, once certified, reserve rides one to seven days ahead by calling 615-880-3596. If your parent is 60 or older and lives in a served part of Davidson County, Senior Ride Nashville (615-610-4040) offers volunteer door-through-door rides, though there may be a waitlist. Tennesseans with full TennCare may also qualify for free rides to covered medical appointments.

We want to keep Mom at home but her care is getting complex. What pays for in-home care? Tennessee's Medicaid long-term care program, TennCare CHOICES, can bring personal care, adult day care, home-delivered meals, and other in-home supports to someone who would otherwise need a nursing home. Apply through the LTSS Help Desk at 1-877-224-0219 or call 1-866-836-6678, Option 1. The GNRC AAAD (615-255-1010) can help you start, and the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can help you compare options.

Sources

• Office of the Metropolitan Trustee, Nashville and Davidson County, Property Tax Relief and Freeze (615-862-6330; Howard Office Building, 700 President Ronald Reagan Way, Suite 220, Nashville, TN 37210; state Property Tax Relief 2025 income limit $37,530; Davidson County Property Tax Freeze 2025 income limit $61,920; deadline April 5, 2026): https://www.nashville.gov/departments/trustee/2025-property-tax-relief-and-freeze and https://www.nashville.gov/departments/trustee/learn-about-property-tax-relief and https://www.nashville.gov/departments/trustee/services/learn-about-property-tax-freeze
• NewsChannel5, Davidson County expands income limits for property tax relief and freeze programs (relief and freeze income-limit increases): https://www.newschannel5.com/news/state/tennessee/davidson-county/davidson-county-expands-income-limits-for-property-tax-relief-freeze-programs
• Tennessee Comptroller, Property Tax Relief (state program, county trustee): https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-functions/pa/property-taxes/property-tax-programs/tax-relief.html
• Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC) Area Agency on Aging and Disability (helpline 615-255-1010 or 1-866-836-6678; aging and disability services, in-home services, caregiver support, meals coordination, transportation): https://www.gnrc.org/163/Aging-and-Disability-Services and https://gnrc.org/197/Aging-and-Disability-Programs and https://www.gnrc.org/222/Meals-Nutrition-Assistance
• FiftyForward Fresh / Meals on Wheels (Resource Line 615-743-3416; serves Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford): https://fiftyforward.org/supportive-care/fiftyforward-fresh-meals-on-wheels/
• Metro Social Services, Nashville and Davidson County, Nutrition Program / home-delivered and congregate meals (615-880-2292): https://www.nashville.gov/departments/social-services/adult-and-family-support-services/nutrition
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee (331 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN 37228; 615-329-3491; Commodity Supplemental Food Program for residents 60+): https://www.secondharvestmidtn.org/ and https://www.secondharvestmidtn.org/contact-us/
• Metropolitan Action Commission (Metro Action Commission), LIHEAP energy assistance and weatherization (Airways Plaza, 1281 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37217; 615-862-8860): https://www.nashville.gov/departments/metro-action/community-programs/utility-assistance-program and https://www.nashville.gov/departments/metro-action/services/get-help-energy-bills
• TN SHIP (Tennessee State Health Insurance Assistance Program), 1-877-801-0044: https://www.tn.gov/disability-and-aging/disability-aging-programs/tn-ship.html
• TennCare (TennCare Connect, 1-855-259-0701) and TennCare CHOICES home and community based services (LTSS Help Desk 1-877-224-0219; Intake 1-866-836-6678 Option 1): https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/long-term-services-supports/choices.html and https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/members-applicants/how-do-i-apply-for-tenncare.html
• Rebuilding Together Nashville (free home repair, ramps, accessibility mods for low-income seniors; SHHIP; 615-297-3955): https://www.rtnashville.org/ and https://www.rtnashville.org/get-help
• WeGo Public Transit, WeGo Access ADA paratransit (Eligibility Specialist 615-880-3596; reserve 1 to 7 days ahead): https://www.wegotransit.com/ride/transit-services/access/
• Senior Ride Nashville (60+ Davidson County volunteer rides; 615-610-4040; waitlist): https://www.seniorridenashville.org/ and https://www.seniorridenashville.org/ride
• Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Nashville office (1321 Murfreesboro Pike, Suite 400, Nashville, TN 37217; 615-244-6610 or 1-800-238-1443): https://las.org/get-help/office-locations-and-the-counties-we-serve/
• Tennessee TennCare, PACE program (Alexian PACE listed, 423-698-0802, Chattanooga area): https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/long-term-services-supports/the-program-for-all-inclusive-care-for-the-elderly-pace-program.html
• Verified July 2, 2026.

Verified July 2, 2026. Program names, phone numbers, income limits, and deadlines change. Confirm directly with each program before you rely on it.

Ryan Riggins, NC Real Estate License #361546, eXp Realty. Riggins Strategic Solutions is an education and media company, not a real estate sales business. Not financial, tax, medical, or legal advice. Programs and contacts change, confirm directly before relying on them.