The Older Americans Act (OAA), originally enacted by Congress in 1965, supports a range of home and community-based services, such as meals-on-wheels and other nutrition programs, in-home services, transportation, legal services, elder abuse prevention and caregivers support. In the late 1970s, Lyon County began sponsoring human services nutrition programs like congregate meals, home-delivered meals and homemaker services to low-income families, elderly, and people with disabilities. County population growth through the 1980s inspired the Board of Lyon County Commissioners, in accordance with Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS), to establish Human Services as an official department of Lyon County in 1994. Prior to establishment, Lyon County provided limited direct social and senior services, mostly paid from ad-valorem taxes as directed by NRS. The Board of County Commissioners authorized the consolidation of county-wide social services and three senior centers (Dayton, Fernley, and Silver Springs). Lyon County Human Services (LCHS) is the outcome of successful efforts to increase access to social and senior services in Lyon County. Two years later, LCHS was awarded the State contract to provide Family to Family Connection services to families with infants and toddlers. Several other programs have come onboard over the years, including Independent Living Programs, Community Health Nursing support, Family Enhancement Program, Family Resource Center, Transportation and services for families with children. In 2014, the department restructured into three divisions; Essential Services, Senior Services, and Supportive Services with an Administrative Office in Silver Springs and support offices in Dayton, Fernley, and Yerington. LCHS is now the recipient of $1.8 million from multiple grant funding sources, including Nevada’s Department of Health & Human Services, Aging and Disability Services Division (ADSD), Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG), Welfare Set-Aside (WSA), Nevada Home Visiting (NHV), Differential Response (DR), Title IV-B Family Support Program (FSP), Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), and more. The grant funds allow LCHS to provide direct prevention-type services to low-income and at-risk residents.
