Area Agencies on Aging in South Carolina (2026 Directory)

Last updated: May 6, 2026

Checked through May 6, 2026. Phone numbers, office addresses, program rules, and funding can change. Use this guide as a starting point, then confirm details with the official agency before you apply.

Bottom line: South Carolina has 10 Area Agencies on Aging, often called AAAs. They serve all 46 counties. Your AAA can help you find meals, rides, caregiver support, Medicare counseling, legal help, long-term care options, and local services. The fastest statewide starting point is GetCareSC at 1-800-868-9095, or the official AAA county list on GetCareSC.

Where to start

Start with the need that is most urgent. If more than one problem is happening, call about safety, food, medicine, and housing first.

Contents

• Where to start
• Urgent help
• Quick facts
• AAA directory
• How AAAs help
• Programs and services
• Local tips
• Phone scripts
• Documents to gather
• Official resources
• Spanish summary
• FAQ

Urgent help in South Carolina

If someone is in danger now, call 911. If there is a mental health crisis, call or text 988. The 988 Lifeline can help with suicide, emotional crisis, and urgent mental health support.

For suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult in the community, call Adult Protective Services at 1-888-CARE4US, which is 1-888-227-3487. You can also use the official APS report page if it is safe to do so.

For food, shelter, rent, utility help, health referrals, disaster help, or local charities, call 2-1-1. The SC 211 page says the service is free, confidential, and open by phone, text, or online all day, every day.

For long-term care facility problems, call the South Carolina Long Term Care Ombudsman at 1-800-868-9095. This is for concerns in nursing homes, assisted living, community residential care facilities, and other long-term care settings.

If the problem is money, food, housing, or medicine this week, also see our emergency help guide. It can help you make calls in the right order.

Quick facts for South Carolina seniors

South Carolina is growing, and its older population is a major part of that growth. Census QuickFacts listed South Carolina at 5,570,274 people for July 1, 2025, with 19.7% age 65 or older. The same Census table listed a 13.3% poverty rate. These numbers help explain why meal programs, rides, housing help, and home care waitlists can be tight in some counties.

For a wider state benefits overview, use our South Carolina senior benefits guide along with this AAA directory.

South Carolina AAA directory by county

Use the county where the older adult lives. If a county line is confusing, call GetCareSC at 1-800-868-9095 and ask which AAA serves the address.

This table is based on the official GetCareSC directory. Before mailing forms or visiting an office, confirm the current address because offices can move.

What an Area Agency on Aging can do

An AAA is not a cash grant office. It is a local aging-service hub. Staff can help you figure out what you need, explain basic eligibility, plan for long-term care, support family caregivers, help with insurance and legal paperwork, and connect you with local providers.

The South Carolina Department on Aging works with the 10 regional AAAs and local organizations to help older adults remain in their homes and communities. The SCDOA about page says Older Americans Act services generally serve adults age 60 or older and adults age 18 or older with a disability, but exact age rules can vary by program.

Major programs and services to ask about

Meals and food support

What it helps with: Senior nutrition programs may offer group meals at senior centers or meal sites, home-delivered meals for homebound older adults, nutrition education, and referrals to other food programs. South Carolina says meal services reach older adults in all 46 counties through the Senior Nutrition Program.

Who may qualify: Group meals are generally for adults age 60 or older. A spouse of any age may also qualify when eating with an eligible participant. Some people with disabilities may qualify in meal-site housing settings. Home-delivered meals usually require a homebound need or similar local screen.

Where to apply: Call your AAA or GetCareSC. Ask for congregate meals, home-delivered meals, and food-box referrals. If you need groceries before the meal program starts, call 2-1-1 and ask for food pantries near your ZIP code.

Reality check: South Carolina says eligible participants are not charged for senior meals, but voluntary donations are welcome. A person should not be denied a meal because they cannot or do not donate. Do not assume a meal route can start the same week. Ask how long the wait is and whether there is a short-term food option.

For more food options, including SNAP and food banks, use our food programs for seniors guide.

Transportation and daily support

What it helps with: AAAs can refer older adults to rides for doctor visits, senior centers, grocery trips, pharmacy stops, and other essential needs. Some regions also connect people with help for chores, minor home safety needs, adult day care, or daily support.

Who may qualify: Rules depend on the county, funding source, trip purpose, age, disability status, and whether the person has other ride options. Medical rides may follow different rules from shopping or senior center rides.

Where to apply: Call your AAA and say your county, destination, appointment date, mobility needs, and whether you use a wheelchair, walker, oxygen, or a caregiver. For Medicaid rides, call Healthy Connections or the managed care plan instead of relying only on the AAA.

Reality check: Transportation is often the hardest service in rural areas. Ask how many business days of notice are needed, whether return rides are included, and what happens if a doctor visit runs late.

Caregiver support and respite

What it helps with: Caregiver programs can give family caregivers training, support, care planning, respite referrals, and help finding local services. South Carolina reports more than one million family caregivers in the state on its caregiver support page.

Who may qualify: The person receiving care is often an older adult or adult with a disability. Some caregiver programs also support grandparents or older relatives caring for children. Rules can depend on the program and the AAA region.

Where to apply: Call the AAA and ask for the family caregiver advocate or caregiver support program. Say what help is needed, how many hours of care you provide, whether dementia is involved, and whether the caregiver is near burnout.

Reality check: Respite care is not the same as full-time home care. Funds may be limited. Ask about support groups, dementia education, safety planning, and backup care even if respite dollars are not open right now.

If you are trying to understand paid caregiver options, our South Carolina caregiver guide explains what may come from Medicaid, VA, or other programs.

Medicare counseling and fraud help

What it helps with: SHIP, also known in South Carolina as I-CARE, gives free one-on-one Medicare counseling. Counselors can help with Medicare Advantage, Part D drug plans, Medigap, billing problems, appeal rights, Medicare Savings Programs, and Extra Help. The state explains these services on its Medicare help page.

Who may qualify: Medicare beneficiaries, family members, friends, and caregivers can ask for counseling. This is not a sales appointment. It is meant to be free and unbiased.

Where to apply: Call SCDOA at 1-800-868-9095 or contact your AAA. Bring Medicare cards, plan letters, medicine names, pharmacy names, income letters if asking about low-income help, and any bills you do not understand.

Reality check: Medicare Open Enrollment can be busy. Try to call before the deadline rush. Do not share your Medicare number with a stranger who calls you first.

If Medicare premiums are hard to pay, our Medicare Savings guide explains the South Carolina application path.

Legal help and ombudsman support

What it helps with: The state funds legal assistance through AAAs for some older adults. Legal help may address income protection, health care, long-term care, housing, utilities, protective services, guardianship, abuse, neglect, and age discrimination. South Carolina describes this on its senior legal page.

Who may qualify: Legal assistance is generally for adults age 60 or older with the greatest social or economic need. Older adults with low income, limited English, rural barriers, or urgent safety needs may be priorities.

Where to apply: Call your AAA and ask for senior legal assistance. If the issue is with a nursing home, assisted living facility, or residential care setting, ask for the Long Term Care Ombudsman instead.

Reality check: Legal programs cannot take every case. Ask what issues are covered, whether there is a wait, and whether there is another legal aid office if your issue is outside the AAA program.

The ombudsman program handles long-term care complaints about rights, discharge, benefits, dignity, care quality, and abuse or neglect in facilities.

Medicaid home care and Community Choices

What it helps with: South Carolina Healthy Connections Medicaid can help with medical coverage for people who meet rules. Community Long-Term Care and the Community Choices waiver may help eligible people receive care at home instead of in a nursing home. The state says the Community Choices waiver serves frail older adults age 65 or older and adults ages 18 to 64 with physical disabilities who meet nursing facility level of care.

Who may qualify: A person must meet Medicaid financial rules and care-need rules. Some people also need a nursing facility level-of-care screen. Spousal rules, asset rules, income rules, and medical need can make this hard to sort out.

Where to apply: Start with SCDHHS. The Medicaid start page explains Healthy Connections, and the Medicaid portal is the official online application path. Your AAA can help you understand which office to call, but Medicaid decides Medicaid eligibility.

Reality check: An AAA call does not approve waiver care. You may need financial papers, medical details, and an assessment. Ask whether the person needs Community Long-Term Care, regular Medicaid, hospice, PACE, or another route.

Housing, utilities, taxes, and home safety referrals

What it helps with: AAAs may not pay rent or electric bills directly, but they can send you to local housing offices, 2-1-1, utility help, Weatherization, home repair partners, senior housing, property tax offices, or emergency programs.

Who may qualify: These programs often depend on income, county, landlord status, homeowner status, utility account name, disability, and whether funds are still open.

Where to apply: For housing, ask the local public housing authority or use our housing help guide. For high utility bills or shutoff notices, use our utility bill help guide. Homeowners can also check our property tax relief guide for South Carolina.

Reality check: A grant is not always the right word. Ask for the exact help you need: rent assistance, utility crisis help, weatherization, home modification, ramp help, Section 504 repair, or a housing waitlist. If agency funds are closed, local charities helping seniors may be a backup, but they also have limits.

Local tips by region

South Carolina has coastal, rural, suburban, and urban service needs. The right call can depend on where the older adult lives.

For storms, power outages, oxygen, dialysis, mobility devices, or medicine storage, use the SCEMD needs page and ask your county emergency management office about local registration or shelter planning.

Phone scripts you can use

Calling GetCareSC or your AAA

“Hello, I am calling for an older adult in [county]. The ZIP code is [ZIP]. We need help with [meals, rides, caregiver support, Medicare, home care, legal help]. What program should we ask for first, and what papers should we have ready?”

Calling about home-delivered meals

“Hello, I am asking about meals for someone age [age]. They have trouble shopping or cooking because [short reason]. Do you screen for home-delivered meals? If there is a waitlist, is there another food program we should call today?”

Calling about Medicare counseling

“Hello, I need SHIP or I-CARE counseling. I have Medicare and need help with [plan choice, drug costs, a bill, Extra Help, Medicare Savings Program]. What should I bring to the appointment?”

Calling about caregiver support

“Hello, I care for my [parent/spouse/relative] in [county]. I help with [bathing, meals, medicine, rides, dementia care]. I need support and possible respite. Can I speak with the caregiver support person?”

Documents to gather before you call

• Full name, date of birth, county, ZIP code, phone number, and safe mailing address.
• Medicare card, Medicaid card, Social Security card, photo ID, and insurance cards.
• Proof of income, such as Social Security, SSI, pension, VA, work, or retirement letters.
• Rent, mortgage, utility bills, shutoff notices, lease papers, tax bills, or repair estimates.
• Medicine list, doctor names, diagnosis notes, discharge papers, and mobility or equipment needs.
• Caregiver name, relationship, hours of help, and the tasks that are no longer safe to do alone.

Official South Carolina resources

• SCDOA homepage for state aging programs.
• SCDHHS Medicaid for Healthy Connections Medicaid.
• Senior Farmers Market for seasonal produce help when the program is open.

Resumen en español

Carolina del Sur tiene 10 Agencias del Area sobre el Envejecimiento. Estas oficinas ayudan a personas mayores, cuidadores y adultos con discapacidades a encontrar comidas, transporte, apoyo para cuidadores, ayuda con Medicare, servicios legales y opciones de cuidado en el hogar. Para empezar, llame a GetCareSC al 1-800-868-9095 o use la busqueda de GetCareSC. Si hay peligro inmediato, llame al 911. Para una crisis de salud mental, llame o mande texto al 988. Para abuso, negligencia o explotacion de un adulto vulnerable en la comunidad, llame a Adult Protective Services al 1-888-CARE4US, que es 1-888-227-3487. Para comida, renta, servicios publicos o refugio hoy, llame al 2-1-1 o revise SC 211. Las reglas y fondos pueden cambiar. Confirme todo con la oficina oficial antes de solicitar ayuda.

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