Area Agency on Aging Locator

If you, or a parent you're helping, need help at home and don't know who to ask, call the Area Agency on Aging first. One call can cover meals, rides, respite care and Medicaid questions.

What Is the Eldercare Locator?

The Eldercare Locator is the official, free national directory for finding help for older adults and their caregivers. It's a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging, part of the federal Administration for Community Living (ACL). You can reach it two ways:

• Phone: 1-800-677-1116
• Online: eldercare.acl.gov, where you can search by ZIP code or city and state

How it relates to your Area Agency on Aging: the Eldercare Locator is the front door, and your Area Agency on Aging is the local office behind it. The Locator doesn't run programs itself. It tells you which AAA serves your address and gives you that agency's contact details. It can also point you to other local resources, such as transportation, housing help, legal aid and caregiver support.

When to use which: if you don't know who serves your county, start with the Eldercare Locator. Once you have your AAA's number, call the AAA directly for services, applications and waitlists.

What happens when you call your AAA

Calling an AAA isn't like calling 211. Under the Older Americans Act, every AAA has to run an Information and Assistance line. A trained specialist asks about your whole situation, not just the program you called about, and tells you about everything you might qualify for. So if you call about Meals on Wheels, they may also check whether you qualify for a Medicare Savings Program or a respite care grant.

Many AAAs also offer options counseling. It's a longer conversation that compares in-home care, adult day programs and assisted living for your specific situation. Some states require it before you can enroll in a Medicaid home care waiver.

Have this ready before you call:

• The person's age, address and who they live with
• Monthly income (Social Security, pension) and whether they have Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program
• What daily tasks have become hard, such as cooking, bathing, driving or managing medications
• Any recent hospital stay or diagnosis

The Eldercare Locator phone line is answered Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. Most local AAAs keep regular weekday business hours.

Why waitlists differ by county

States send Older Americans Act money to AAAs using a formula. It gives more to areas with more people over 60 and higher poverty, and often more to rural areas and areas with large minority populations. Two counties of the same size can end up with very different budgets, which is why the wait for home-delivered meals can be a week in one county and three months in the next.

Most Older Americans Act services have no income test. Instead, AAAs have to put people with the greatest economic or social need first, such as people who live alone, have a disability, live in a rural area or speak limited English. Some programs that run through the AAA, such as Medicaid waivers, still have their own income limits.

While you're on the phone, ask about two services people often miss. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman helps people in nursing homes and assisted living who have a complaint. Older Americans Act legal assistance gives free help with issues like benefits denials, housing and wills. For the legal side, see our Senior Legal Aid Locator.

This page gives general information about Area Agencies on Aging and links to the official Eldercare Locator. Programs, eligibility and waitlists vary by agency. For current details, call your local AAA.