NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION
OF AREA AGENCIES ON AGING
About NC4A
NC4A’s primary mission
is to build capacity and coordinate the activities of the 16 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) in North Carolina. AAAs are charged with helping older adults and people with disabilities, along with their caregivers, live in their communities in the least restrictive environment with maximum dignity and independence for as long as possible.
The N.C. Aging Network has provided programs and services to seniors, caregivers and individuals with disabilities for over 40 years. Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) have an enduring relationship with long-term care facilities to ensure resident rights and enhance resident benefits. This network operates in all 100 counties to support individuals across the continuum of care from the very well to the very frail in the community and in long-term care facilities. The N.C. Aging Network wants to complement its services with additional resources from healthcare partners and others for improved population management.
An Area Agency on Aging is a public or private non-profit agency designated by the North Carolina General Assembly to administer the Older Americans Act at the regional level per the 1973 amendment to the Older Americans Act. Having regional oversight of the programs and funding allows the state to be more responsive and to be better able to assess local needs and concerns.
North Carolina has 16 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). Each is located within a multi-county Planning and Service Area served by a public, non-profit organization typically known as a Council of Governments or Planning Commission. All 100 counties in North Carolina are covered by an Area Agency on Aging.
AAAs are charged with developing comprehensive and coordinated service and resource systems for older adults which address their needs and are appropriate for the local communities. They create multi-year plans which are implemented with Older Americans Act and other applicable funds that the AAA administers. Their “bottomline” purpose, in North Carolina, is to help older adults live in their communities in the least restrictive environment with maximum dignity and independence. They perform this service through a variety of means such as:
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entering into grant agreements with each county to provide aging services
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serving in an advisory capacity
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providing feedback to the state on aging issues and service delivery
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strategic planning that addresses issues and needs of the older population
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technical assistance to local aging services providers
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technical assistance to counties
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education
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training
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performance assessment (management, fiscal, service)
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quality assurance
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advocacy (federal, state, local)
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program administration (federal, state, and local dollars)
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facilitation of cooperative relationships
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information gathering and dissemination
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referrals
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problem resolution
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creative solutions
All AAAs Play A Key Role In:
Planning
Developing
Coordinating
Delivering
The Older Americans Act (OAA) was intentionally designed to mandate that AAAs use the flexibility granted by the Act to ensure that local needs and preferences are taken into consideration and that the resulting local delivery system is tailored to the community.