If you are trying to arrange help for an older adult and do not know where to start, the answer is almost always the same: call your Area Agency on Aging. There are more than 600 of them across the United States, they are free to talk to, and they exist specifically to connect older adults and caregivers with local services.

This page explains what they do, what they can and cannot help with, how to find yours, and what to have ready before you call.

What an Area Agency on Aging actually is

Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) were created by the Older Americans Act of 1965. Each one covers a defined geographic area, sometimes a single county, sometimes a dozen rural counties, and receives federal and state funding to plan and coordinate services for people aged 60 and over.

An AAA is not a nursing home, a home care company, or a doctor’s office. Think of it as the switchboard for aging services in your area. Some run programs directly; most contract with local providers and act as the place that knows who does what.

What they can help with

  • Information and referral. The core service. You describe the situation, they tell you what exists locally and who to call.
  • Home-delivered and congregate meals. Meals on Wheels and community dining sites are usually funded through the AAA. See our page on senior nutrition programs.
  • Caregiver support. Respite, training, counseling, and support groups through the National Family Caregiver Support Program. See caregiver support.
  • Benefits screening. Checking whether someone qualifies for Medicaid, SNAP, energy assistance, Medicare Savings Programs, or Extra Help with drug costs.
  • In-home services. Personal care, homemaker help, chore services, and adult day programs, often on a sliding scale or through a Medicaid waiver.
  • Transportation. Rides to medical appointments, grocery stores, and senior centers.
  • Options counseling. Sitting down with a family and walking through the realistic choices when staying at home is getting difficult.
  • Long-term care ombudsman access. Many AAAs host the regional ombudsman. See legal help and the ombudsman.

What they generally cannot do

  • They do not provide medical care or prescribe anything.
  • They cannot force an adult to accept help. If a competent adult refuses services, the AAA cannot override that.
  • They rarely pay for 24-hour care. Most in-home programs fund a limited number of hours per week.
  • Waiting lists are real. Popular programs, home-delivered meals, respite, in-home aide hours, often have them, and length varies enormously by region.

How to find yours

  1. Eldercare Locator: the national service run by the Administration for Community Living. Call 1-800-677-1116 (weekdays, Eastern time) or search by ZIP code at eldercare.acl.gov. This is the most reliable route.
  2. Dial 211. Available in most of the country. Not aging-specific, but the operators will route you.
  3. Your state unit on aging. Every state has one, and it maintains the list of AAAs in that state. Searching for “[your state] department on aging” will find it.
  4. Your local senior center or hospital discharge planner. Both deal with the AAA regularly and can usually give you a direct number.

What to have ready before you call

The first call goes much faster if you can answer these:

  • The person’s age, ZIP code, and whether they live alone.
  • What specifically is hard right now, meals, bathing, getting to appointments, managing medications, paying bills.
  • Whether there is a recent hospital stay or new diagnosis driving the change.
  • Rough monthly income and whether they are on Medicaid. Many programs are income-tested, and the screening question comes early.
  • Who else is involved, family nearby, an existing aide, a power of attorney.

What it costs

Information and referral is always free. Older Americans Act services such as meals and transportation are offered without a fixed fee; programs may ask for a voluntary contribution, and no one can be denied a service funded this way because they cannot contribute. Medicaid waiver services depend on eligibility. Private-pay referrals are what they sound like, the AAA tells you who provides the service, and you pay that provider.

If you cannot reach your AAA

Lines are often busy on Monday mornings and after holidays. If you are not getting through, try the Eldercare Locator directly, email instead of calling, or ask the hospital social worker to make the referral, referrals from a discharge planner frequently move faster than cold calls.

Programs, eligibility rules, and waiting lists change. Confirm details with your local agency before making decisions based on them.