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Last updated: 15 September 2026
Louisiana’s aging network can help older adults and caregivers find local meals, transportation, senior centers, Medicare counseling, caregiver support, legal referrals, home-based services, and long-term care help. The fastest route is usually to start with the parish where the older adult lives.
Bottom Line
The Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs (GOEA) is Louisiana’s state aging office. Use the official Area Agency directory to find the aging office that serves your parish, then call before visiting. Local Councils on Aging and senior centers often handle the services people need day to day.
If you need a broader list of state benefits beyond aging services, use our Louisiana senior benefits guide.
Urgent Help in Louisiana
Immediate danger: Call 911.
Elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect: GOEA’s current Elderly Protective Services page says reports can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-844-945-2377. The separate toll-free line, 1-833-577-6532, is listed for Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. GOEA also lists 1-800-737-1813 for Spanish-speaking callers.
Food, shelter, utility, rent, or local crisis referrals: Dial 2-1-1 or use Louisiana 211. The statewide network says help is available 24/7 and you can also text your ZIP code to 898-211.
If bills are already past due, see our Louisiana emergency help guide.
Start Here
- Write down the parish and ZIP code. Local aging services are organized by service area.
- Find the correct local office. Use GOEA’s aging directories instead of guessing from the nearest city.
- Say the main need first. Tell the worker if you need meals, rides, caregiver help, Medicare counseling, a senior center, home care, legal help, or protection from abuse.
| Need | Start here | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Local aging office | GOEA or local Council on Aging | Which office serves my parish and ZIP code? |
| Senior center | GOEA center directory | Which center or meal site serves my address? |
| Meals | Local Council on Aging | Are home meals or meal sites open now? |
| Transportation | Local Council on Aging | How early must I book and which trips are covered? |
| Medicare | LaSHIP | Can a counselor review my coverage and costs? |
| Care at home | Louisiana Options | Should I request an OAAS screening? |
| Facility complaint | Long-Term Care Ombudsman | Who is the ombudsman for this facility? |
What Has Changed
The most important correction in this update is the Elderly Protective Services contact wording. GOEA now states that 1-844-945-2377 accepts reports 24/7; the 1-833-577-6532 line is the weekday business-hours number. We also rechecked the current GOEA aging directories, Louisiana Options number, LaSHIP contact route, and local senior-center examples.
LaSHIP’s current page also confirms that the 2026 Medicare Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7. If you want to review coverage for 2027, you can contact LaSHIP before or during that window.
What Louisiana Aging Offices and Senior Centers Do
GOEA says it serves Louisiana residents age 60 and older through a network of Area Agencies on Aging and local partners. That does not mean every office offers every service. GOEA’s network service list warns that each Council on Aging does not provide all listed services.
An Area Agency on Aging may plan services across several parishes, while a parish Council on Aging may be the place that takes local calls, schedules transportation, manages meal programs, or operates senior centers. In some places, one organization has more than one role.
Common services can include information and referrals, congregate meals, home-delivered meals, transportation, caregiver support, wellness programs, recreation, legal referrals, medication help, homemaker services, and long-term care navigation. Availability depends on the parish, funding, staffing, and the older adult’s needs.
Do not assume that living near an office means it serves your parish. Use GOEA’s full agency directory to confirm the service area and current contact details.
Find Your Louisiana Area Agency on Aging or Council
The table below gives selected starting contacts from the current GOEA directory. It is not a complete map of every parish. Always confirm your parish in the official directory before making a long trip.
| Office | Main phone | Good first use |
|---|---|---|
| GOEA state office | 225-342-7100 | Statewide direction and aging-network questions |
| Capital Area Agency on Aging | 225-925-7674 | Capital-area and nearby parish navigation |
| Cajun Area Agency on Aging | 337-572-8940 | Acadiana-area aging services |
| Cenla Area Agency on Aging | 318-484-2260 | Central and northeast regional navigation |
| Caddo Council on Aging | 318-676-7900 | Northwest Louisiana aging services |
| St. Charles Council on Aging | 985-783-6685 | St. Charles Parish aging services |
| St. James Area Agency on Aging | 225-562-2305 | St. James Parish aging services |
Use the GOEA directory for toll-free numbers, addresses, hours, services, and the current parishes served. Those details can change.
How to Find a Senior Center in Louisiana
Start with GOEA’s senior center directory. A local site may be a full senior center, a meal site, an activity center, or a wellness center. Call before you go and ask whether you need to register.
Current local examples show how different centers can be:
- East Baton Rouge Parish: the EBR Council on Aging centers include sites such as The Lotus Center and Perkins Road Senior Center.
- Orleans Parish: the New Orleans senior centers list includes daily activities and meal services at several sites.
- Jefferson Parish: the JCOA center system lists ten senior centers and says activities and hours can vary by center.
- Lafayette Parish: the Lafayette senior services page lists congregate meal sites, senior centers, wellness activities, and home-delivered meals.
- Bossier Parish: the Bossier Council on Aging lists centers in Bossier City, Benton, and Haughton, along with meals, transportation, caregiver support, and home-based services.
Ask about age or residency rules, meals, transportation, accessibility, caregiver attendance, fees or voluntary donations, and holiday or storm closures. Do not assume that a program shown at one Louisiana center is available statewide.
Main Help You Can Ask About
Meals and food support
What it helps with: Local aging offices may offer congregate meals, home-delivered meals, nutrition education, or referrals to other food programs.
Who may qualify: GOEA’s aging network focuses on residents age 60 and older, but meal programs can use extra screening rules based on need, mobility, home situation, and available routes.
Where to start: Call the parish Council on Aging. If you also need SNAP, use our Louisiana SNAP guide.
Reality check: A home-delivered meal route may have a waitlist even when a congregate meal site has openings. Ask about both.
Transportation
What it helps with: Depending on the parish, aging-network transportation may cover medical visits, senior centers, meal sites, groceries, pharmacies, or other essential trips.
Where to start: Ask the local Council on Aging how far ahead to schedule, which destinations are allowed, whether a caregiver may ride, and what happens if the appointment runs late.
Reality check: Local transportation is not always same-day or door-to-door. Medicaid medical transportation is a separate route for eligible Medicaid members.
Caregiver support
What it helps with: Some aging offices offer respite, caregiver information, support groups, supplies, training, or referrals. Ask specifically about the National Family Caregiver Support Program and what is funded locally.
Where to start: Call the local aging office and describe what the caregiver does each day. For payment programs and Medicaid-related caregiver routes, see our family caregiver guide.
Reality check: Caregiver support does not automatically mean a family member will be paid. Programs have different eligibility and service rules.
Medicare counseling
What it helps with: Louisiana’s LaSHIP program provides free, unbiased Medicare counseling. Counselors can help explain Medicare choices, plan notices, claims, appeals, and coverage questions.
Where to start: Call 1-800-259-5300. Bring your Medicare card, current drug list, doctors, pharmacy, and any plan letters. If you are also checking help with Medicare costs, use our Medicare Savings guide.
Reality check: A counselor helps you understand choices; the counselor does not sell a plan or guarantee eligibility for cost-saving programs.
Care at home and long-term services
What it helps with: Louisiana’s OAAS program page (OAAS) manages long-term services and supports for older adults and adults with adult-onset disabilities. Programs can include home and community-based services, personal care, adult day health care, and nursing facility pathways.
Where to start: The Louisiana Department of Health says to call 1-877-456-1146 for Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care to request OAAS waiver opportunities, services, or nursing facility placement. The state’s long-term care page also explains facility and community-based routes.
Reality check: A Council on Aging may help with information and referrals, but it does not make the final Medicaid eligibility decision. If the family is comparing care settings, our assisted living guide can help organize the next questions.
Long-term care complaints
What it helps with: The Louisiana Ombudsman Program helps residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and personal care homes with concerns about care, food, finances, activities, visitation, and resident rights. GOEA says ombudsman services are confidential and free.
Where to start: Use the state page to find the regional coordinator or call the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Office at 1-866-632-0922.
Reality check: An ombudsman is not an emergency line. Call 911 for immediate danger and use Elderly Protective Services when abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect is suspected.
Disability, equipment, housing, and veteran needs
An older adult may need more than a senior center. For disability-specific programs, use our Louisiana disability guide. If equipment is the immediate problem, check our medical equipment guide.
For housing problems, see our Louisiana housing guide. Homeowners needing safety repairs can use our home repair guide. Veterans and surviving spouses can also use our Louisiana veteran guide.
What to Prepare Before You Call
You do not need a full application file for the first call. Basic information helps the worker send you to the right program.
| Have ready | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Parish and ZIP code | Many services depend on the local service area. |
| Age and living situation | Programs may ask whether the person lives alone, with family, or in a facility. |
| Main need | Meals, rides, Medicare, caregiver help, or home care lead to different offices. |
| Income sources | Some programs use income or benefit information when screening. |
| Health and mobility limits | Daily living needs can affect meal, transportation, and care referrals. |
| Medicare or Medicaid information | It can speed health coverage and long-term care questions. |
| Urgent notices | Eviction, shutoff, discharge, or abuse concerns should be stated first. |
Write down the worker’s name, the number you called, the date, the next step, and any deadline. For online state applications, our Louisiana benefits portals guide can help you identify the official sites before entering personal information.
Reality Checks
Services vary by parish. A program offered in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, or Bossier Parish may not operate the same way elsewhere.
Funding can limit service. A local office may use waitlists, priority rules, route limits, assessments, or reduced schedules.
A referral is not approval. A Council on Aging can help you find the right program, but Medicaid, Medicare, housing agencies, and other programs make their own decisions.
Call before traveling. Office hours, center schedules, meal times, transportation routes, and storm closures can change.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Calling the nearest office without checking the parish. Confirm the service area first.
- Assuming “senior center” means the same thing everywhere. Ask whether the site offers meals, transportation, classes, or only selected activities.
- Waiting until the day of an appointment to ask for a ride. Many local routes require advance scheduling.
- Not saying the urgent issue first. Mention no food, no safe transportation, abuse concerns, eviction, shutoff, or facility discharge immediately.
- Assuming a caregiver referral means paid caregiving. Ask what the specific program provides.
- Relying on an old phone list. Use the current agency directory and official program pages before acting.
Denied, Delayed, or Overwhelmed
If a local office says a service is full or waitlisted, ask for the next-best route. A home meal waitlist may still leave a congregate meal site, food pantry, SNAP screening, or another community option.
If you are sent to the wrong office, ask the worker for the exact name and phone number of the office that makes the decision. Then repeat the name back before ending the call.
If a benefit application is denied, ask for the written notice and the appeal or reconsideration instructions. Do not rely only on a verbal explanation.
For civil legal questions, Louisiana LawHelp can help you find legal information and local assistance. For hurricane and evacuation planning, use the state-supported Get A Game Plan resource.
Phone Scripts You Can Use
Find my local aging office
“Hello. I live in [parish] at ZIP code [ZIP]. I am looking for help for an older adult age [age]. Which Area Agency on Aging or Council on Aging serves this address, and what number should I call?”
Find a senior center
“I am looking for a senior center, meal site, or activity center near [city or ZIP]. Do I need to register before coming, and do you offer meals or transportation?”
Ask about meals or rides
“The person needs help with [home meals / a meal site / medical rides / grocery rides]. What is available now, is there a waitlist, and what information do you need from us?”
Ask about care at home
“The person needs help with daily tasks such as [bathing / dressing / meals / transfers]. Should we call Louisiana Options for an OAAS screening, and what information should we have ready?”
Other Official and Trusted Resources
The federal Eldercare Locator can help family members search for aging services by ZIP code, including when the helper lives outside Louisiana.
For local food, housing, utility, transportation, disability, and other community services, Louisiana 211 can supplement the aging-network search. Use local aging offices first when the main problem is senior services, then use 2-1-1 when you need a broader community referral.
Resumen en Español
En Louisiana, la Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs (GOEA), las Area Agencies on Aging, los Councils on Aging y los centros para personas mayores pueden ayudar con comidas, transporte, apoyo para cuidadores, Medicare, actividades, servicios locales y referencias para cuidado a largo plazo.
Para empezar, busque la oficina que sirve a su parroquia en el directorio oficial de GOEA. Para reportar abuso, negligencia, explotación o auto-negligencia de una persona mayor, llame al 1-844-945-2377, disponible 24 horas al día. Si hay peligro inmediato, llame al 911. Para ayuda comunitaria con comida, vivienda, servicios públicos u otras necesidades, marque 2-1-1.
Para preguntas de Medicare, LaSHIP ofrece orientación gratuita e imparcial al 1-800-259-5300. Para servicios de OAAS, cuidado en el hogar o colocación en un centro de enfermería, llame a Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care al 1-877-456-1146.
FAQs
What is an Area Agency on Aging in Louisiana?
An Area Agency on Aging is part of Louisiana’s aging network. It helps plan, coordinate, and connect older adults to local services. In many parishes, Councils on Aging and senior centers handle day-to-day services such as meals, rides, caregiver support, wellness programs, and referrals.
How do I find the aging office for my parish?
Use the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs Area Agencies on Aging directory or the full agency directory. Search by parish, then call before visiting because service areas, hours, and local programs can change.
How do I find a senior center in Louisiana?
Use the GOEA Wellness and Senior Center Directory or call your parish Council on Aging. Ask whether the closest site is a senior center, meal site, activity center, or wellness center, and whether you must register before attending.
Are Louisiana aging services free?
Costs depend on the service and local program rules. Ask the local office whether there is a fee, suggested contribution, waitlist, or assessment before you rely on a service.
Can an aging office help with Medicare?
Yes. Local aging offices may connect you to Medicare counseling. Louisiana’s LaSHIP program also provides free, unbiased Medicare guidance. For LaSHIP help, call 1-800-259-5300.
What number do I call for care at home or an OAAS waiver?
For Office of Aging and Adult Services waiver opportunities, home and community-based services, or nursing facility placement, call Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 1-877-456-1146.
Where do I report elder abuse in Louisiana?
Call 911 for immediate danger. GOEA lists 1-844-945-2377 for Elderly Protective Services reports 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The 1-833-577-6532 line is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
About This Guide
Sources: This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources linked in the article.
Editorial note: This guide is produced under the GFS Editorial Standards using official and other high-trust sources. GFS is not affiliated with a government agency and is not a substitute for official agency guidance. Individual eligibility outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
Corrections: Despite careful verification, errors may occur. Email info@grantsforseniors.org with corrections.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, financial, medical, tax, disability-rights, immigration, or government-agency advice. Program rules, policies, funding, and availability can change. Readers should confirm current details directly with the responsible official program before acting.
Last updated: 15 September 2026 · Next review: 15 January 2027
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