PAGE REVIEWED / UPDATED – Jul. 2019

What are Area Agencies on Aging

Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) is a network of approximately 622 non-profit organizations nationwide. They serve the elderly population (60+) of their local areas.  Most agencies serve a specific geographic area of several neighboring counties. Although a few offer services statewide.  This is especially true in smaller or less densely populated states. All the AAAs receive federal funding under the Older American Act. And most supplement that funding with additional state and local revenues.  

Agencies may use the phrase “Area Agency on Aging” in their name, such as the Area Agency on Aging of Southwest Arkansas. Or they may simply call themselves the County Office on Aging.

What AAAs Do

Each Area Agency on Aging provides a different suite of services although there are basic services that are provided by nearly all AAAs.  These include:

  • Nutrition – counseling, home delivered meals, and congregate (group) meals
  • Caregiver Support – respite care and caregiver training / education
  • Care Management – in-home care assessments and care plan development
  • Information & Referral – information about home and community based assistance programs, such as Medicaid, and referrals to administrators
  • Long Term Care Ombudsmen – information about long term care facilities and investigation of complaints
  • Insurance Counseling – assists seniors in understanding and maximizing the benefits of their insurance, especially Medicare
  • Transportation – assistance understanding and coordinating shared, non-medical transportation services

A lesser, but still significant, percentage of AAAs also provide families with help completing applications for assistance programs, such as Medicaid, respite care, and certain veterans’ programs.  Finally, case management is a much valued option, though offered more selectively than other types of help. 

What AAAs Don’t Do

When planning for long term care, it is equally important to know the services with which the AAAs cannot or do not help families.  

  • Hands-On Care – Except in very rare instances, AAAs do not provide hands-on care themselves.  However, some may sub-contract hands on services to local providers.  
  • Medicaid Planning – Medicaid has very restrictive financial eligibility requirements. AAAs can help explain the requirements. But they will not and cannot offer any assistance in helping families comply with or meet those requirements.
  • Veterans Benefits Planning – Similar to Medicaid, many VA programs have restrictive financial eligibility rules. AAAs cannot advise families on how to structure income and assets to meet those requirements.

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Alternative Assistance Options

Public Alternatives

Aging and Disability Resource Centers – ADRCs serve as a single point of entry for families to learn about the long term care support services available to them through federal, state, and other programs. The ADRCs provide free and objective counseling services. While very helpful, the ADRC system is still being developed and is not available nationwide.  In addition, in many cases, the ADRC Agency is same agency as the Area Agency on Aging.  However in some states these are separate entities.  

Private Assistance

Medicaid Planners – Medicaid planners offer families assistance with the complicated Medicaid application process.  More importantly, they help families structure their finances to meet Medicaid’s financial requirements.  Read more.

Veterans Benefits Planners – VA benefit planners help families to understand the different, and sometimes conflicting, benefits which they may be due. They also help to calculate and re-structure income and assets to meet program requirements. Read more.

Select Your State & County to Find Your Local Area Agency on Aging

Adams County Office for Aging, Inc.
318 West Middle Street Gettysburg PA 17325
Phone: (717) 334-9296
Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging
2100 Wharton St, 2nd Floor Pittsburgh PA 15203
Phone: (412) 350-4234
Armstrong Area Agency on Aging
326 South Water Street Suite 1 Kittanning PA 16201
Phone: (724) 548-3290
Beaver County Office on Aging
1020 Eighth Avenue
Phone: (724) 847-2262
Huntingdon-Bedford-Fulton Area Agency on Aging
240 Wood Street P.O. Box 46 Bedford PA 15522
Phone: (814) 623-8148
Berks County Office on Aging
633 Court Street 8th Floor Reading PA 19601
Phone: (610) 478-6500
Blair Senior Services, Inc.
1320 12th Avenue Altoona PA 16601
Phone: (814) 946-1235
AAA for Co. of Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna & Tioga
220 Main Street Unit #2 Towanda PA 18848
Phone: (570) 265-6121
Bucks County Area Agency on Aging
30 East Oakland Avenue Doylestown PA 18901
Phone: 267-880-5700
Butler County Area Agency on Aging
111 Sunnyview Circle Suite 101 Butler PA 16001
Phone: (724) 282-3008
Cambria County Area Agency on Aging
110 Franklin Street Suite 400 Johnstown PA 15901
Phone: (814) 539-5595
Office of Human Services, Inc.
108 Center St Ridgway PA 15853
Phone: (814) 776-2191
Carbon County Area Agency on Aging
401 Delaware AvenueThird FloorPalmerton PA 18071
Phone: (610) 824-7830
Centre County Office on Aging
420 Holmes Street Bellefonte PA 16823
Phone: (814) 355-6716
Chester County Department of Aging Services
601 Westtown Road Suite 130, Government Services Center West Chester PA 19380
Phone: (610) 344-6350
Clarion Area Agency on Aging, Inc.
12 Grant Street Clarion PA 16214
Phone: (814) 226-4640
Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging, Inc
103 North Front Street Clearfield PA 16830
Phone: (814) 765-2696
STEP Office of Aging
2138 Lincoln Street P.O. Box 3156 Williamsport PA 17701
Phone: (570) 323-3096
Columbia-Montour Aging Office, Inc.
702 Sawmill Road Suite 201 Bloomsburg PA 17815
Phone: (570) 784-9272
Active Aging, Inc.
1034 Park Avenue Meadville PA 16335
Phone: (814) 336-1792
Cumberland County Aging and Community Services
1100 Claremont Road Carlisle PA 17015
Phone: (717) 240-6110
Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging
2 South 2nd StreetThird FloorHarrisburg PA 17101
Phone: (717) 780-6130
Delaware County Office of Aging
206 Eddystone Avenue 2nd Floor Eddystone PA 19022
Phone: (610) 490-1300
Greater Erie Community Action Committee
18 West 9th Street Erie PA 16501
Phone: (814) 459-4581
Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging, Inc.
305 Chamber Plaza Charleroi PA 15022
Phone: 724-489-8080
Experience, Inc. Area Agency on Aging
905 4th Avenue Warren PA 16365
Phone: (814) 726-1700
Franklin County Area Agency on Aging
600 Norland AvenueSuite 11Chambersburg PA 17201
Phone: (717) 263-2153
Aging Services, Inc.
1055 Oak Street P.O.Box 519 Indiana PA 15701
Phone: (724) 349-4500
Jefferson County Area Agency on Aging
186 Main Street Brookville PA 15825
Phone: (814) 849-3096
Mifflin-Juniata Area Agency on Aging, Inc.
249 west 3rd street Lewistown PA 17044
Phone: (717) 242-0315
Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging
200 Adams Avenue Suite 300 Scranton PA 18503
Phone: (570) 963-6740
Lancaster County Office of Aging
150 North Queen Street Suite 415 Lancaster PA 17603
Phone: (717) 299-7979
Challenges: Options in Aging
2706 Mercer Road Shenley Square New Castle PA 16105
Phone: (724) 658-3729
Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging
710 Maple Street 2nd Floor Lebanon PA 17046
Phone: (717) 273-9262
Lehigh County Office Of Aging and Adult Services
17 South Seventh Street Room 230 Allentown PA 18101
Phone: (610) 782-3034
Area Agency on Aging Luzerne/Wyoming Counties
111 North Pennsylvania Boulevard Wilkes-Barre PA 18701
Phone: (570) 822-1158
Mercer County Area Agency on Aging, Inc.
133 North Pitt Street Mercer PA 16137
Phone: (724) 662-6222
Monroe County Area Agency on Aging
724 Phillips StreetSuite 102Stroudsburg PA 18360
Phone: (570) 420-3735
Montgomery County Aging & Adult Services
Human Services Center 1430 DeKalb Street Norristown PA 19404
Phone: (610) 278-3601
Northampton County Area Agency on Aging
45 North 2nd Street Easton PA 18042
Phone: (610) 559-3245
Northumberland County AAA
322 North 2nd Street Sunbury PA 17801
Phone: (570) 495-2395
Perry County Area Agency on Aging
2 West Main StreetP.O. Box 725New Bloomfield PA 17068
Phone: (717) 582-5128
Philadelphia Corporation for Aging
642 North Broad Street Philadelphia PA 19130
Phone: (215) 765-9000
Pike County Area Agency on Aging
150 Pike County Boulevard Off Rte 739 Blooming Grove Township Hawley PA 18428
Phone: (570) 775-5550
Potter County Human Services
62 North Street P.O. Box 241 Roulette PA 16746
Phone: (814) 544-7315
Schuylkill County Office of Senior Services
110 East Laurel BoulevardPottsville PA 17901
Phone: (570) 622-3103
Union-Snyder Area Agency on Aging, Inc.
116 North 2nd Street Lewisburg PA 17837
Phone: (570) 524-2100
Area Agency on Agency of Somerset County
1338 South Edgewood Avenue Somerset PA 15501
Phone: (814) 443-2681
Venango County Area Agency on Aging
1 Dale AvenueFranklin PA 16323
Phone: (814) 432-9711
Wayne County Area Agency on Aging
323 10th StreetHonesdale PA 18431
Phone: (570) 253-4262
Westmoreland County Area Agency on Aging
200 South Main Street Greensburg PA 15601
Phone: (724) 830-4444
York County AAA
100 West Market Street York PA 17401
Phone: (717) 771-9610

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