Overview
The Commission serves as the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) in the four county region. The AAA serves to facilitate and support the development of programs to address the needs of older adults. The AAA provides advocacy, planning, program and resource development, information brokerage, funds administration, and quality assurance. The Agency focuses on supporting and assisting older adults in obtaining aging services offered in their communities through local aging service providers.
Our 2022 Aging Services Guide can be accessed here.
The AAA’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
An advocacy program which promotes and protects the rights of residents in long-term care facilities. The Ombudsman is responsible for investigating and resolving complaints made by or on behalf of residents.
The AAA’s Family Caregiver Support Program
This program has the responsibility to plan, provide and coordinate multi-faceted systems of supportive services for caregivers. The program offers information about services, assistance with accessing services, counseling, support groups, caregiver education, respite for caregivers, and services to supplement care.
The AAA’s Evidence Based Disease Prevention and Health Promotions Program
This program has the responsibility to plan, coordinate and implement disease prevention and health promotion programs that are based on scientific evidence and have been demonstrated to improve the health of older adults.
Information and Options Counseling
What is Information and Options Counseling?
Information and Options Counseling is a service that considers peoples’ needs and preferences and connects them with available resources. There are three levels to this service.
Information includes informing individuals about programs and services, identifying the types of assistance they need and connecting them to appropriate service providers.
Assistance is a more intensive service for those persons who require additional help with finding appropriate services and programs.
Options Counseling is a process where individuals receive guidance as they make informed choices about potential services and supports. Individuals then take the lead in carrying out their personalized Action Plan.
Who Qualifies?
Individuals who are 60 years of age or older or someone acting on behalf of a person age 60 or older and who need information about services or referrals to services qualify.
Options Counseling may be helpful to individuals who:
- Do not know how to access long-term services and supports.
- Request transition assistance from one living setting to another.
- Lack awareness of existing community resources and supports.
- Want to plan for future long-term support needs.
NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature Fact Sheets
Senior Tar Heels 2024 Legislative Priorities
Staff-to-Patient Ratios in Nursing Homes
Home and Community Care Block Grant
