OLHSA SENIOR CHORE
PROGRAM TOOLKIT
Updated: April 3, 2024
This toolkit was designed by the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency
(OLHSA) to enable Oakland County cities, townships, and villages to use ARPA
funded mini-grants to create a responsive yard services program to meet the
needs of older adults and persons with disabilities living in their communities. This
toolkit will guide you through the steps to construct a program that will improve
the lives of your residents. Throughout the Toolkit, we point out suggestions
to align your program with Community Development Block Grant guidelines
for a smooth transition to CDBG funding once the ARPA pilot period ends.
OLHSA is part of a national network of Community Action Agencies (CAAs)
that work with individuals, families, and communities to reduce the causes
and conditions of poverty. OLHSA had operated a senior chore program
from 1984 through 2019 and is eager to share its practical knowledge and
pass on its wisdom to local communities so they may fill this critical service
gap. As indicated throughout the toolkit, OLHSA is available to perform
outreach and enrollment services for your senior chore program.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Introduction
1
INTRODUCTION
The first step in developing a senior chore program is to gauge the
depth and scope of need for yard services in your community. We
recommend you do one or more of the following activities:
Create a survey (electronic and paper versions) asking what
types of yard services your senior residents need to live
more safely in their homes. Include suggestions of the types
of services that you are willing and able to provide on the
survey so that residents can rank them in order of importance.
Some possible services include lawn mowing, snow removal,
gutter cleaning, bush trimming, and yard cleanup.
Post the survey link on your website, email the link out to
residents, and put a QR code for the link in your newsletter.
Provide paper surveys at your local senior center, the library, town
hall, and local churches; ask your local Meals on Wheels provider
to give them to homebound seniors in single family homes.
Hold a community forum to solicit the residents’ opinions on
which yard services are needed and what age/income guidelines
you should impose. This can be scheduled before a regularly
scheduled trustee/board meeting or at your local senior center.
Check with the local post oce to identify homes to which
they are not delivering mail to learn if they are vacant or
simply need bush trimming or other lawn maintenance.
Talk with your local DPW oce to see if they have identified
a need for yard services (lawns overgrown, snow not being
plowed, bushes not trimmed so that the home looks vacant when
someone is living in it.) Check on the types of tickets issued to
homeowners to detect any patterns that demonstrates need.
TIP: Working with your DPW oce is vital to creating and maintaining
a good program as they are the eyes and ears in your neighborhoods.
Once you have collected and analyzed this data, you will have a good idea
of which services are needed in your community and how many people need
them. You can then ask yourself the detailed questions in the next section.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Needs Assessment
2
step
#1
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
The next step is to incorporate the communities’ input and demonstrated need
into determining which types of yard services you will oer and how your
program should be structured. Consider the options and associated decisions
below as you are determining the scope of services you will oer.
Lawn Mowing
• To what height do you want
the grass mowed (3 inches for
grass health or shorter to spread
out frequency of service)?
• How often will you mow in season
(weekly, bi-weekly, or as dictated
by the amount of rain)?
• Will you provide weed whipping on
driveways and other walkways?
• Will you provide edging?
• What is the maximum size yard to
be mowed? (Up to 1 acre, 2 acres, or
more; this may mean only the portion
surrounding the home and driveway
of large yards will be mowed.
• Will you provide only the minimum
work done to prevent a code violation
or a more broad level of service?
• Will you provide participants with
this service for the whole season
or limit the number of mows?
Snow Removal
• When will the snow removal be
provided? After the snow stops falling
or while the snow is still falling?
• Does this change when large storms
are predicted so that the contractor
can stay ahead of the storm?
• How many inches of snow must
accumulate before you authorize
the removal? (2 inches? 3 inches?)
• If the snow starts melting, does
the contractor stop plowing when
snow melts to under 2 inches?
• What is the maximum length and width
of driveways that will be plowed?
• Does the service include snow removal
on sidewalks, porches, walkways to
the driveways, access to and from
the home, mailbox and garage?
• Will you provide the clients this
service for the whole season or
limit the number of plows?
Gutter Cleaning
If oered, will you provide
this once or twice a year?
Bush/Tree Trim
& Removal
If included, will you perform
this task in the fall, in the
spring, or in both seasons?
Yard Cleanup
If proposed, will you clean
up the fall leaves or provide
spring cleanup before
lawn mowing or both?
TIP: These service categories are all eligible CDBG service types and can
be continued when CDBG funds your program after the pilot period.
Consideration: We recommend providing lawn mowing and snow removal for the whole
season for enrolled clients so that you can establish a plan that is consistent and less labor
intensive for all involved. It can be challenging to add and remove households to serve
though out the season. Additionally, the senior household can rest assured that their lawn
or driveway will be maintained all season without the possibility of having to identify a
service provider when they have reached their maximum number of plows or mows.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Scope of Services
3
step
#2
SCOPE OF SERVICES
Once you have selected which services you will oer, the next step is to plan how
you will deliver all of the activities and services that a senior chore program entails.
Your program will need stang or vendors to fulfil the following activities:
1
Promoting the program and raising
community awareness.
2
Processing applications, certifying senior
applicants to certify eligibility, verifying their
property specifications, notifying applicants
of enrollment decision, and onboarding them
to the program. This is an annual process.
3
Delivering the yard services. You will need to
use internal employees or contract with lawn
service companies. If you use employees, you
will need to consider equipment needs. If you
use outside contractors, you will need to procure
qualified, licensed entities that can provide the
services at rates that work with your budget and
you will need to perform adequate oversight.
4
Fielding inquiry calls from prospective or enrolled
participants and handling any complaints
or issues during the operating seasons.
5
Performing quality control and verification
of service duties. You will have to ensure
that services are being delivered and
meet your established standards.
6
Working with contractors or in-house sta
to assign households and schedule routes.
You will need to communicate with direct
service providers to address ongoing issues
or questions during service delivery.
7
Processing invoices and payments
to contractors, if applicable.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Service Delivery
4
SERVICE DELIVERY
step
#3
Suggested Roles:
Enrollment Specialist: solicits and processes applications annually, certifies
eligibility, addresses program inquiry calls, performs outreach, and assesses
client satisfaction. This could be an internal employee or OLHSA. He or she
will be the primary point of contact during program enrollment periods and
will handle all communication related to program eligibility and enrollment.
Municipality Community Contact: promotes the program, coordinates with
the Enrollment Specialist, completes reporting, and engages in ongoing
communication with and oversight of the contractors. The Community Contact’s
name and contact information will be listed on all client correspondence.
He or she will be the primary point of contact for participants during the
operating seasons and will handle inquiries, concerns, or complaints.
Service Provider: delivers the actual yard services and submits
verification of work performed. This could be community employees
using municipal equipment or a contracted yard services company.
Note: If you elect to utilize OLHSA for the enrollment
component of your program, we will:
• Promote and perform outreach to recruit seniors for the senior yard program
• Send enrollment packets and correspondence prior
to each season to existing participants
• Assist new prospective participants with application procedures
• Collect eligibility documentation.
• Certify and enroll applicants.
• Provide a list of eligible clients to municipality within established timeline.
• Continue to collect applications, certify eligibility, maintain a waiting list,
and move people o the waiting list as vacancies in the program occur.
• Provide referrals and linkages to enrolled clients, ineligible
applicants, and those on the waiting list.
See the vignette on page 6 to see how OLHSA has
worked with the City of Oak Park in this role.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Service Delivery
5
step
#3
SERVICE DELIVERY
Success Story
In late April, Toni from the Oak Park Department of Public Works (DPW)
oce was out in the field when she noticed that a home on Harding Street
had grass that was 6 inches high. She knocked on the door and met Mary,
who told her that she was unable to mow her grass anymore. She had a fall
during the winter and now had to use a walker. She also didn’t have the money
to hire someone to mow the lawn and didn’t know what she would do.
Toni told her that the City had a Chore Yard Care program that may be able
to assist her. Toni retrieved the CDBG Senior Chore Program Application from
her truck and waited for Mary to fill it out. Toni then took a picture of Mary’s
State ID and told Mary that someone from the Oakland Livingston Human
Service Agency (OLHSA) would give her a call. She explained that OLHSA
processes the paperwork for the City of Oak Park’s yard service program.
When Toni got back to her oce she scanned the documents to OLHSA
and caseworker Jane was assigned to contact Mary to get the rest of her
information to sign her up for the program. While talking to Mary, Jane
learned that she was 69 and didn’t have enough food to eat. Jane completed
a Bridge Card application for Mary to get her signed up for food stamps and
did an internal referral to OLHSA’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program
(CSFP) so she could receive monthly food boxes delivered to her home.
Jane then turned the Chore paperwork over to Marie for the lawn mowing
services. Marie checked with Dan (the Municipal Community Contact) to
make sure that there was an open slot for her. Luckily, their enrollment list
for the summer had not been finalized, and since Mary’s income put her
at 30% AMI she was classified as high priority to receive services. Mary
was put on the grass mowing list and the service started in May.
When Mary was called in June to see how things were going, she was delighted.
She told us that she was doing very well. The monthly food box and the food
stamps really helped her to not be hungry, and she no longer had to worry about
her grass being unsightly or receiving a citation. It was being mowed beautifully.
She was now comfortable to go into her back yard to enjoy the sunshine.
She thanked OLHSA and the City of Oak Park for the wonderful program.
In August, OLHSA made sure to include her when they sent out
program renewal notices so she could reapply and receive snow removal
services that coming winter, along with lawn services next year.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Service Delivery
6
step
#3
SERVICE DELIVERY
Procurement of Service Contractors:
It would be ideal to utilize a known, reputable local
company to provide this service. Each community
may be familiar with the companies that are visible and
active in their area. It would be advisable to approach
these companies to gauge their interest and capacity.
We have attached a sample request for qualifications
that can be used. Items that need to be filled in by the
community are highlighted in yellow. (See Appendix C.)
See Appendix D for a sample spreadsheet of contractor
costs per household based on a rate of $25 per unit.
In addition to the standard
fee for service costs, you may
wish to also negotiate with
contractor on the following:
• Does the contractor get paid
a fee for going to a home that
has already been plowed or
mowed by homeowner?
• Will you pay the contractor
dierent rates based on the
length/width of driveways and
other walkways to be cleared?
• Will you pay the contractor
dierent rates based on
the depth of the snow?
• Are they willing to use a
system such as Property Pres
Wizard to verify their work?
Tip: Check out the
Better Business
Bureau website to
assist with finding
contractors.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Service Delivery
7
step
#3
SERVICE DELIVERY
The next step is to finalize your eligibility criteria and establish priorities. Federal
grants such as ARPA or CDBG will dictate the qualification requirements, and the
only flexibility you will be aorded is to impose stricter guidelines; for example,
CDBG allows service to those 62 and older but you may restrict service to those
65 and older. In order to oer services to households that do not meet grant
guidelines but still have demonstrated need, you may wish to supplement your
program funding with general funds, private grants, or a private pay option.
1
Age: What minimum age will you establish?
2
Disability: Will you also serve disabled adults under
minimum age? (see Disabled Adult Template 1b) Will you
prioritize older adults and only serve disabled adults if there
is capacity left after all seniors have had a chance to enroll?
3
Income: What income criteria will you institute?
Will you oer a private-pay option with a sliding fee
scale for those who do not meet income criteria?
4
Home Ownership: Will you require that the senior
owns the property? Will you allow seniors who
rent the property but who have legal responsibility
for lawn maintenance to be served?
5
Home Residency: Will you require that applicants
must live in the home during service season.
6
Household Composition: If able-bodied adults aged
18 or older reside at the home, will the applicant be
able to receive services? Types of able-bodied adults:
renters, family members who can’t aord to live on
their own, children over age 18, but mainly in school,
paid or unpaid caregivers of the homeowner. If you
exclude applicants who have other adults living in
their homes, how do you do this equitably?
7
Transfer of Services: Can services be transferred to an
eligible household member in case of enrolled client death?
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Participant Eligibility
8
PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY
step
#4
Tip: If you plan to continue your
program using CDBG funds in the
future you may wish to align you
eligibility criteria with the CDBG
program. They are as follows:
• Applicants must own the
home and reside there
• Applicant must be age 62 or
older, or be severely physically
disabled (with proof of disability
provided by a doctor)
• Income must be under 80% of AMI
(income list provided by HUD)
• Income is for all persons living at
the address (including any renters)
Prioritization Criteria
How will you prioritize applicants?
Will you create an acuity scale that
measures certain factors to assure
that those most in need (most elderly,
lowest income) are enrolled first if
demand exceeds your resources?
Consideration: Will you require proof
of income or allow participants to
self-declare? CDBG allows for self-
declaration for income but requires
a driver’s license or state ID verifying
age. CDBG also requires a letter
certifying serious physical disability
from the participant’s physician
if the person is under age 62.
Criteria
Minimum Oakland
County ARPA
Requirements
Proof
Required
CDBG
Requirements
Proof Required
age 62 and over Self-certify 62 and older
Driver’s license
or state ID
Physical
disability
Severely disabled
adults under 62
Self-certify
Severely disabled
adults under 62
Physician letter
income 80% AMI Self-certify 80% AMI Self-certify
Home
ownership
None N/A Senior must own Self-certify
Home
residency
None N/A
Senior must reside
but allows hospital
or rehab stays
Self-certify
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Participant Eligibility
9
step
#4
PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY
Now that you have assessed the community need, determined the services to be
oered and program eligibility, and identified how services will be delivered, you
can create a program budget. This budget will ultimately provide the capacity
parameters used to structure your program and make final decisions on service
levels. It is important to develop a feasible budget based on solid projections
of the number of seniors to be served, the specifications of properties and
distances between properties in your community, and the scope and frequency
of services to be oered. In spite of careful projections, actual yard service
costs can be variable depending on factors such as the weather (number of
significant snowfalls, amount of rain) and fluctuating contractor service rates.
These are the factors that will drive the
direct lawn services portion of your
budget and will ultimately factor into
your program capacity and structure:
• Projected costs for the types of services you wish
to oer based on actual or estimated contractor
rates and property specs in your community
• Projected frequency and number of services
you plan to oer to enrolled households
• Projected number of households to be served
Other items to account for in your budget:
• Salaries/fringe benefits for the Community
Contact and Enrollment Specialist
• Equipment (if providing in-house)
• Marketing and application materials
(paper products, stamps, envelopes)
• Verification software cost (if using a
product like Property Pres Wizard)
• Liability insurance
It is important to keep in mind that biggest expense will
be the direct services. Negotiating with a contractor
for the best rates they can oer will be an important
part of this process. Many landscape companies
will be willing to accept a rate that is lower than
market because of the geographic concentration of
properties or the altruistic nature of the program.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Program Budgetand Capacity
10
step
#5
PROGRAM BUDGET
AND CAPACITY
Guidance:
Because there are so many factors and variables, we are including a sample
budget to provide a reference of what a chore program budget might look like.
You may also refer to Appendix D for a worksheet of the costs per household
based on a rate of $25 per unit. You will be able to drop in the rates you negotiate
with a contractor into this spreadsheet to estimate your costs per household.
This sample budget example is based on serving a community with
two dierent sizes of yards for mowing and two sizes of driveways for
plowing. The budget is based on 34 small properties (½ acre for mowing
and under 100 feet for driveways) and 16 larger
properties (½ to 1 acre
for mowing and between 100 feet and 1,320 feet for driveways).
Sample Budget for 50 addresses:
Lawn Mowing * $29,700
Snow Removal** $33,000
Contractor Total: $62,700
Liability Insurance: $ 1,000
Property Pres Wizard Software $ 2,000
Marketing and application materials: $ 3,000
Community Contact 2 hours a week: $ 4,000
Enrollment Specialist: (15% of the total budget) $10,905
Total Budget: $83,605
*The lawn mowing estimate is based on 18 mows between May and October at a
cost of $25 per mow for 34 small yards and $50 per mow for 16 large yards.
**The snow removal estimate is for a moderate winter with 10 plows of which 4 are between 2-4
inches, 3 are between 4-8 inches, 2 are between 8-12 inches, and 1 is over 13 inches. Costs start at
$25 per push for small driveways with 2-4 inches of snow and $50 per push for large driveways
for 2-4 inches of snow. The price increases by $25 per push per each higher amount of snow for
the small driveways and $50 per push for each higher amount of snow for the longer driveways.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Program Budgetand Capacity
11
step
#5
PROGRAM BUDGET
AND CAPACITY
Capacity and Structure of Program
Once you determine the dollar amount
designated for direct services, you will use
your priorities to determine how many
households you can enroll in the program
and the scope and frequency of services,
i.e determine your program capacity. You
may decide that serving everyone who is
eligible is the most important factor and
that priority will dictate the frequency
and scope of service. Conversely, you
may decide that providing a certain
level of service to fewer people is more
important. Do you wish to stretch your
budget by limiting the types of services
each household can receive or will
you oer all types of services to every
household. By this stage, you should
finalize (with input and consultation
from the contracted service provider):
• How many households you
can serve each season
• The frequency and number of
services enrolled households can
expect per season (we suggest
declaring a range as opposed
to a specific number since
weather variables are at play)
Consideration: Will all eligible, enrolled
households receive all services (for
example lawn and snow) or will you have
them apply separately each snow and
lawn season? We recommend oering
all available services to participants at
the point of application and allowing
them to choose which services they are
requesting for the year. If they choose
snow and lawn, we advise checking with
the household prior to the start of the
next service season to assure they are
still in need and interested as a lot can
change over the course of 6 months.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Program Budget and Capacity
12
step
#5
PROGRAM BUDGET
AND CAPACITY
Once you have established the need for the services, decided on the
services that you will provide and the delivery methods, determined the
eligibility requirements and priorities, and scaled your program capacity,
the next step is to create the program materials and enroll participants.
Suggested Forms:
• Annual application form (see sample new applicant application
form and sample CDBG application Appendix B2: 1a, 1e)
• Annual Severely Disabled Adult form, if relevant (see sample Appendix B2: 1b)
• Application Cover letter with instructions and contact
information (see samples Appendix B: 1c, 1d, 2a, 2b)
Suggested Initial Enrollment Process:
• Community Contact informs Enrollment Specialist about the number
of households that can be enrolled each season (i.e. capacity).
• Both Community Contact and Enrollment Specialist disseminate the program
applications to the community via mail, email, or a download link from
your website or hard copy. Applications can be received by mail, email,
electronic submission on website, or drop o at community location.
• Enrollment Specialist collects, date stamps and reviews
completed applications and required proofs to verify
applicant meets community eligibility requirements.
• Enrollment Specialist contacts applicants if information
is missing from the application form.
• Enrollment Specialist may perform more targeted outreach
to engage more isolated seniors and assist any seniors
who require support in completing the application.
• Enrollment Specialist prioritizes list of eligible applicants based on
established criteria and weight (i.e. income, age, order of receipt).
• Once the capacity for the season has been reached, the
Enrollment Specialist establishes a waitlist for the service.
• Enrollment Specialist provides list of possible addresses to the Contractor
for review (at this time the Contractor can let the Enrollment Specialist
know if there is any address that they are not willing or able to serve).
• Enrollment Specialist receives written approval via email
from Contractor to accept the addresses on the list.
• Enrollment Specialist submits final list to Community
Contact and receives final approval.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Enrollment Procedures
13
step
#6
ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES
• Enrollment Specialist provides final, approved list for the season
to the Community Contact, DPW and the Contractor.
• Enrollment Specialist provides client demographics to the Community Contact.
• Enrollment Specialist sends out appropriate client follow up letters to
applicants: welcome letter (will receive service), wait list, not eligible
(see samples in Appendix B: 3, 4, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 8, 9a, 9b).
• Enrollment Specialist provides program policies to enrolled participants,
Suggested Renewal Enrollment
Process (year two and beyond)
• Community/Enrollment Specialist sends renewal applications out once a year
to all the clients who were on the program during the previous year, to all
persons who were on the waitlist and to other interested persons. Be sure
that the cover letter for the renewal applications clearly states the due date.
• Enrollment Specialist date stamps the renewal applications
and reviews for continuing eligibility.
• After the renewal due date passes, Enrollment Specialist
prioritizes the list of applicants based on established criteria
and order of receipt to create the service list.
• If capacity for the season has not been reached, the Enrollment
Specialist contacts former clients who did not respond to
the renewal paperwork until capacity is reached.
• Once the capacity for the season has been reached, the
Enrollment Specialist starts a waitlist for the service and
follows the rest of the process steps as outlined above.
Waitlist Letters:
• The list has reached the maximum number of clients.
• The applicant applied after the list was finalized.
• The contractor is not able to do the work at the address.
• The eligible applicant did not meet the high priority category for services
but could potentially be served before the end of the season.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Enrollment Procedures
14
step
#6
ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES
Other Program Letters
• Application received letters (see sample Appendix B: 7)
• Termination of services letter (see sample Appendix B: 10)
• Temporary suspension letters: can include issues that need to be addressed
prior to service resuming such as too much dog feces in backyard to safely
mow, car blocking driveway , blocked access to backyard , homeowners
acting in unsafe way (going outside when contractors mowing lawn
when they could be hit by debris) (see sample Appendix B: 11)
Application Procedures Tips
• We recommend sending the renewal applications(year two and
beyond)in August. At this time the applicants will be able to request
both snow removal and lawn mowing. Both the snow removal client list
and the lawn mowing “wish list” will be created at this time. You may
wish to indicate that there is no guaranteethat all persons who are
put on the lawn mowing wish list in the fall will be able to receive the
service the following summer; funding may be less than projected due
to a severe winter or higher priority clients may take up all the slots.
• Send the list of enrolled household addresses to the Community’s Department
of Public Works (DPW) and request that they notify the Community Contact
and Service Provider if they find an issue with any of the addresses on the
list. The desired outcome is that the DPW will contact the program so the
issue may be resolved instead of giving citations to the homeowners for
services covered under the program. This relieves stress for the homeowners.
• Have the contractors review the lists for addresses they are
not willing/able to serve before welcome letters are sent out to
minimize problems. Some reasons for not being willing or able
to serve may include prior issues with a household in the past or
contractor equipment too large to safely service the property.
Tip: When creating your outreach and program materials keep the following in mind:
• Program documents should be translated into other
languages that are prominent in your community.
• The welcome letters should have the following type of clause in
them, “The X Community has the right to terminate the services at
the subject location if deemed dangerous or otherwise problematic
for contractors or community administration sta.” This allows
households to be terminated from services for cause.
• Clearly communicate that participants have to reapply annually.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Enrollment Procedures
15
step
#6
ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES
Sample Timeline (note, if beginning
with Spring/Summer season, adjust all
dates to start timeline in March)
Activity Timeline
Open Enrollment Period and Promote August 1st
Close Enrollment Period (keep accepting
applicants to add to waitlists)
August 30th
Certify Households and create a proposed list of
households to be served for Snow season and
a preliminary “wish” list for Lawn season
September
Present Service List to Service Provider and
Community Contact for Final Approval
October 1
st
-October 15
Notify applicants of approval, denial, wait list October 15th
Snow Season service begins November 1
st
Check if enrolled households who chose lawn
services too still need and want lawn service
Mid-March to Mid-April
Perform any additional outreach and
promotion until capacity is reached
Mid-March to Mid-April
Submit an updated, final list of approved households to
Service Provider and Community Contact for approval
Mid-April
Spring Clean Up (if oered and selected)
and Summer Lawn Service Begins
May or June
Send Renewal Applications to enrolled households,
waitlisted households, and other interested parties;
open up application and promote until reach capacity.
August 1
st
Repeat above sequence of activities
Fall Clean Up (If oered and selected) September-November
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Enrollment Procedures
16
step
#6
ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES
Once you have determined your enrollment procedures and have a signed a
contract with a yard services company or have in-house sta equipped, you can
start to promote the program. Below is a list of suggested outreach activities:
1. Create Program Flyers that include eligibility guidelines,
application procedures & deadline, and a QR code for the
application. Provide/post the flyers at the following locations:
• Community social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
• Community newsletter or email blasts
• Community website
• Local senior centers
• Local library
• Township/City administrative oces
• Local churches
• Meals on Wheels provider to distribute to their clients
• Community fairs/flu shot clinics/tax preparation days
• Resident mailboxes
2. Conduct presentations with a PowerPoint at:
• Township/City Board Meeting (televised)
• Local senior centers
• A special Community Forum to advertise the new program.
Remember- If you elect to have OLHSA handle your enrollment, we will advertise
the program on our social media and conduct presentations for your community at
your local senior centers or municipal events to spread the word about the program.
• For recruitment of non-native English-speaking applicants, you may
want to work with ethnic specific outreach organizations or associations
to inform seniors and assist them with applying for services.
Tip: Prominently mention somewhere in your literature/on your
website that applications must be renewed annually.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Program Promotion
17
step
#7
PROGRAM PROMOTION
Monitoring
Senior Chore Programs must implement a method
to assure that the services were delivered and
to assess that service standards were met. There
are various ways to accomplish this process.
We recommend using a picture-based verification
program such as Property Pres Wizard https://home.
propertypreswizard.com. This database allows the
Contractor to take before and after photos of the
yards and the work completed. The municipality can
then review the work and verify that the work was
done at the correct home prior to issuing payment
to the contractor. A challenge with this option is
that contractors are sometimes reluctant to carry
out this process as it may slow them down.
Another option is to have the contractor or in-
house yard service provider leave a form and self-
addressed, stamped envelope with the homeowner
so the household can verify that the service was
completed and indicate their level of satisfaction.
The main drawbacks of this method is that the
response rate is typically poor. You can explore
new ways of using technology to confirm services
via a text or email link, but be careful not to assume
that all seniors are comfortable with this option.
It is important to verify that the contractor is
completing the work at the proper address.
We have learned late in the season that the
contractor was inadvertently serving the wrong
property all summer long. To avoid this:
• Have the homeowner provide a photo of
their home to the Community Contact.
• The Community Contact provides photos
of the homes to the contractor with
their list of assigned properties.
• Best Practice: have the contractor complete
a dry run and to evaluate homes and
confirm addresses prior to season start.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Quality Control
18
step
#8
QUALITY CONTROL
Client Satisfaction
In order to get feedback from the clients on impact of the program, we
recommend having the Enrollment Specialist contact a sample of clients towards
the beginning of each season. We recommend that the calls are made one
week after the first snowstorm of the season has been plowed and one month
after the lawn mowing services have begun. An example script is below.
• Hello Mrs. Smith, you are on the ABC Community snow removal
program and we wanted to give you a call to see if you were
satisfied with the snow removal service that you received.
• Please explain.
• Do you have any suggestions for improving the service?
• Do you have any other needs?
Customer Service
Inquiry Calls:
Seniors will call to ask questions about the program. If they call
during the enrollment period, the Enrollment Specialist can field their
questions and provide guidance. If prospective participants call after
enrollment has been closed and have questions or concerns about
services, they should be directed to the Community Contact.
Seniors will inevitably call with questions about their services such
as “when will my lawn be mowed?” or “when will my driveway be
plowed?” Be sure to appoint which sta member will field those sorts
of calls, which can be at a high volume during snow events.
Client Complaints:
You should also appoint someone such as the Community Contact to receive
complaints or grievances and handle the investigation and resolution.
Programs should develop clearly communicated procedures for participants
to informally and formally make complaints. Some complaints can be
minor and others can be significant such as claims of property damage.
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Quality Control
19
step
#8
QUALITY CONTROL
Once you have demonstrated the value of the senior chore program in your
community and have operated a successful pilot program, the next step is
to develop a transition plan to keep it operating beyond the pilot period.
The most viable sources of future funding include:
• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds (Yard Services)
• General Funds could be set aside for this purpose
upon conclusion of the pilot project
• Supplementing grant or general funds with client donations and
setting up a private pay system based on a sliding scale.
Consideration: Communities receiving ARPA funds for the Senior Chore Pilot
Program would need to apply for CDBG funds for Program Year 2026 in
December of 2025. Communities receive Program Year 2026 funds in February
2027. Communities would need to front the money to keep the programs going
between August 2026 and February 2027 when the funds for Program Year (PY)
2026 are released. If programs are confident that they will pursue CDBG Yard
Service funds, they could strategically apply for PY 2025 in December of 2024.
Additional Best Practices
Data Collection, Reporting, and Recordkeeping
For CDBG and ARPA funded projects, it is required that you record certain
demographics of households served and track services provided. Programs
should enter client data and services in a database or spreadsheet so it is
available for reporting or audits. Client applications, service verifications, and
contractor invoices should be maintained in a locked physical location or on a
secure electronic storage platform for five years (ARPA) or three years (CDBG).
See appendix B2: 1f for a copy of the required CDBG
Direct Benefit Activity Report form.
Program Policies
It is important to document program policies so that the
program can be implemented fairly and consistently.
We recommend that you create the following policies for your program:
• Eligibility Policy
• Prioritization Policy
• Wait List Policy
• Client Complaint Policy
• Donation Policy
• Termination of Services Policy
with Appeal Procedures
• Quality Assurance Policy
• Record Retention
• Confidentiality Policy
OLHSA Chore Toolkit: Program Sustainability
20
step
#9
PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY
Conclusion
We hope that you find this toolkit useful as you
design your local senior chore program. By
providing this service, you are truly filling a need
in your community and improving the lives of your
senior residents. Remember, the OLHSA team is
available throughout your pilot program to provide
ongoing technical assistance and support.
Contact:
Marie Verheyen, Program Manager
email: mariev@olhsa.org
Landline: (248) 209-2671
Cell Phone: (248) 895-4273
For additional
resources go to:
www.OLHSA.org/chore
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Appendices
