Area Agencies on Aging in Louisiana

Contents

• Urgent help
• Quick start
• What AAAs do
• Regional offices
• Main programs
• What to prepare
• Phone scripts
• After the call
• Spanish summary
• FAQs

Urgent help in Louisiana

Call 911 if someone is in danger now, needs emergency medical help, or cannot stay safely where they are.

To report abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect involving a person age 60 or older, call Elderly Protective Services at 1-833-577-6532 during business hours. GOEA also lists an after-hours line, 1-844-945-2377, and a Spanish line, 1-800-737-1813, on the EPS page for reports and instructions.

For food, shelter, rent help, utility help, disaster help, or local nonprofit referrals, call 2-1-1. The Louisiana 211 network can route you to help by ZIP code, parish, and need.

If the problem is not an emergency, but you need aging services, call GOEA at 225-342-7100 or use the official directory first. If you are sorting several bills at once, our bill crisis guide can help you decide what to call first.

Quick start: who to call first

Louisiana has large cities, rural parishes, hurricane-risk areas, and many older adults who need help close to home. The Census QuickFacts page lists Louisiana’s 2025 population estimate at 4,618,189 and shows that 17.7% of residents are age 65 or older. That is why local offices matter.

Use our Louisiana benefits guide if you need a wider list of food, health care, utility, housing, and tax help beyond aging offices.

What an Area Agency on Aging can help with

An Area Agency on Aging, often called an AAA, is a local planning and service office for older adults. In Louisiana, some AAAs are tied to a local Council on Aging. Some serve one parish. Others serve several parishes. GOEA says it serves residents age 60 and older and works through a network of Area Agencies on Aging.

Do not assume every parish office offers the same help. GOEA’s service list says each Council on Aging does not provide every listed service. That is important. A service may exist in one area, have a waitlist in another, or be handled by a partner agency.

Louisiana AAA and Council contacts

The GOEA directory is the safest place to check current contacts. It can be searched, sorted, and opened for more details. The table below gives a starting map based on the official directory. Always confirm your parish before you drive to an office.

If your parish is not obvious from this table, do not guess. Use the GOEA directory or call GOEA at 225-342-7100. People in Orleans, Jefferson, East Baton Rouge, rural Acadiana, the bayou parishes, and north Louisiana may be served by different local offices or partner agencies.

Main help you can ask about

Meals and food help

What it helps with: Local aging offices may help with meal sites, home-delivered meals, nutrition education, and referrals to food banks or SNAP.

Who may qualify: Many Older Americans Act services focus on adults age 60 and older. Home-delivered meals often focus on people who have trouble shopping or cooking, live alone, have health limits, or cannot safely reach a meal site.

Where to apply: Call your local Council on Aging. For SNAP or LaCAP, use the LA CAFE portal or call the state food benefits line.

Reality check: Meal programs are not the same as SNAP. A meal route may be full, but you may still be able to ask about a meal site, pantry, or food benefit application.

Transportation

What it helps with: Some local offices offer rides or help finding rides to medical visits, dialysis, grocery stores, senior centers, meal sites, pharmacies, and other needed places.

Who may qualify: Rules differ by parish. Some rides may be limited to older adults, people with disabilities, medical trips, or people who cannot use regular transportation.

Where to apply: Call your Council on Aging and ask for the transportation desk. If you have Medicaid and need a covered medical ride, also ask Medicaid or your health plan about non-emergency medical transportation.

Reality check: Rides may not be same-day. Ask how many days ahead you must call, what hours rides run, and whether a caregiver can ride with you.

Medicare counseling

What it helps with: Medicare counseling can help with Medicare Advantage, Part D drug plans, Medigap questions, billing issues, and Medicare Savings Programs. Louisiana calls its state Medicare help program LaSHIP.

Who may qualify: Medicare beneficiaries, people close to Medicare age, people with disabilities who have Medicare, caregivers, and family members can ask questions.

Where to apply: Start with LaSHIP through the Louisiana Department of Insurance, or ask your local aging office for a counselor near you.

Reality check: A counselor should not sell you a plan. Bring your Medicare card, drug list, doctors, pharmacy, and any plan letters before you meet.

Care at home and waiver referrals

What it helps with: Some older adults need help with bathing, dressing, meals, transfers, home safety, respite, adult day health care, or nursing facility alternatives. Louisiana’s Office of Aging and Adult Services, or OAAS, handles long-term services and supports for older adults and adults with adult-onset disabilities.

Who may qualify: Medicaid long-term care programs usually look at income, resources, medical need, daily living needs, and whether the person meets nursing facility level of care.

Where to apply: LDH says to call Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 877-456-1146 for OAAS waiver opportunities, services, or nursing facility placement. You can also read the OAAS page before calling.

Reality check: A Council on Aging may help you understand the path, but it may not decide Medicaid waiver eligibility. For more detail on home and community services, see our assisted living guide before you call.

Long-term care complaints

What it helps with: The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program helps residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities with concerns about care, food, money, activities, visitation, rights, and treatment.

Who may qualify: Residents, families, friends, facility staff, or others with concerns can contact an ombudsman. GOEA says the service is confidential and free.

Where to apply: Use the ombudsman page to find the coordinator for the region or call the state office.

Reality check: An ombudsman is not 911. If there is immediate danger, call emergency services first. If abuse or neglect may be involved, also contact EPS.

Other trusted resources

The national Eldercare Locator can help people search for local aging services by ZIP code if they are helping a parent from another state.

For civil legal information and referrals, Louisiana LawHelp can help you find legal aid, court forms, and legal topics by location.

For storms, evacuation, shelter planning, and special needs planning, the state Get A Game Plan site is a better source than social media rumors during hurricane season.

If you need to use online benefit sites, our benefits portals guide can help you spot the right Louisiana portals before you type in private details.

What to prepare before you call

You do not need every paper before your first call. But having basic facts ready can save time.

Keep notes. Write the date, time, person you spoke with, phone number, next step, and any deadline. If you use several programs, our Medicare Savings guide may also help you prepare for cost-sharing questions.

Phone scripts you can use

Keep your call short. Say your parish first. Then say the main problem.

Script 1: Find my local aging office

“Hello, my name is [name]. I live in [parish] and I am calling about help for an older adult age [age]. Can you tell me which Council on Aging or Area Agency on Aging serves this parish, and the best number to call?”

Script 2: Ask about meals and rides

“I am calling to ask about senior meals and transportation. The person needs help with [meal delivery / meal site / medical rides / grocery rides]. What services are open now, what is the waitlist, and what information do you need from us?”

Script 3: Ask about caregiver help

“I help care for [spouse / parent / relative]. We need help with respite, caregiver support, and maybe home safety items. Does your office have caregiver services or a partner agency I should call?”

Script 4: Ask about care at home

“The person needs help with daily tasks like [bathing / dressing / meals / transfers]. Should we call Louisiana Options for an OAAS screening, and can your office help us understand what papers to gather?”

What happens after the first call

Most first calls are not full applications. They are screening calls. The worker may ask about age, parish, living situation, income, health limits, and the main problem. This helps the office decide whether to handle the request, place you on a list, or send you to another agency.

If the office says there is a waitlist, ask what you can do while you wait. Ask if there is another meal site, another ride option, a benefits screening, a caregiver program, or a nonprofit partner that may help sooner.

If you leave a message, say your name, parish, phone number, and best time to call back. Speak slowly. If you miss the return call, call again and note the date. Many small offices have limited staff, so one missed call can slow things down.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming every parish has the same services. Ask what is open where you live.
• Waiting until the last minute. Meals, rides, and care programs may have waitlists.
• Calling only one office. You may need GOEA, your Council on Aging, Medicaid, 2-1-1, or legal aid.
• Not saying the urgent problem first. Say if there is no food, no safe ride, a shutoff notice, abuse, or discharge from a facility.
• Paying for basic help too fast. Many benefit screenings and referrals are free through public or nonprofit offices.

Resumen en espanol

Las Area Agencies on Aging y los Councils on Aging en Louisiana ayudan a personas mayores con comidas, transporte, apoyo para cuidadores, ayuda con Medicare, referencias legales y servicios locales. Para empezar, llame a GOEA al 225-342-7100 o use el directorio oficial de GOEA para encontrar la oficina que sirve a su parroquia.

Si hay peligro inmediato, llame al 911. Para reportar abuso, negligencia o explotacion de una persona de 60 anos o mas, llame a Elderly Protective Services al 1-833-577-6532. Para ayuda con comida, vivienda, servicios publicos o recursos locales, llame al 2-1-1.

FAQs