With the exception of places like your ElderCare Team site and a few others like it, there is no real single information resource for what we call the "eldercare maze." The various Area Agencies on Aging are the closest thing we have to a publically supported "gateway," yet far too few people know just what they can offer to caregivers.

Wherever your senior is in the U.S. you can get information on aging issues, support and advocacy, individual assistance and referral to a multitude of home and community based services from that area's local or regional AoA.

The AoA national network is made up of almost 700 Area Agencies on Aging, located in every U.S. state and territory. Programs are tailored to meet the specific needs of seniors who live in an individual Aoa's geographic area and will vary from agency to agency.

In no particular order of importance, your local Area Agency on Aging might offer:

• Information, Referral & Assistance...

• Benefits Counseling

• Care Coordination

• Caregiver Education and Training

• Caregiver Support

• Counseling

• Caregiver Education and Training

• Homemaker Services

• Legal Assistance

• Meals

• Ombudsman

• Respite Care

• Senior Centers

• Small Home Repairs or Modifications

• Transportation

Area Agencies on Aging receive funding from federal, state, city, and county grants, as well as local non-profit agencies.  Although many of the services they provide are specifically for low income seniors, information and referral services are always available to everyone. Some agencies have funds earmarked to help offset costs for those who meet financial guidelines.

While some AoAs refer callers only to non-profit agencies and providers, others will refer to what they consider the "best" resources, regardless of tax status. We've been glad to see this movement, because non-profit doesn't necessarily always mean "least expensive."

If you don't know what's available in your elder's community, or you aren't sure even what to look for, your local Area Agency on Aging is a good place to start. There are trained counselors on the other end of the line who really live in the area and know the available options first hand. While the attention they can give you can't be as focused or as personal as you would get from a private geriatric care manager, the AoA is a good alternative to going it alone.

No matter where they live, you can locate Agency on Aging services by calling 1-800-677-1116 or by using the online Eldercare Locator at www.eldercare.gov . If you call Eldercare Locator you will talk to a friendly, trained professional who can link you with the your local information and referral networks.