Capital Area Agency on Aging

The Agency is designated by the state of Louisiana, governors office of elderly affairs (goea) as an Area Agency on Aging (aaa). An Area Agency on Aging as defined by the us department of health and human services (dhhs), office of human development services, administration for community living, administration on Aging (aoa), develops and administers an Area plan for a comprehensive and coordinated system of services to persons aged 60 and older. Funding for these programs is provided by dhhs through goea to implement a system for providing all necessary supportive services, including nutrition services in a manner designed to facilitate accessibility to and utilization of all supportive and nutrition services. The profile of services provided includes homemaker, personal care, transportation, information and assistance, etc.

Senior community services employment program (scsep) is a community service and work-based training program for older americans. Authorized by the older american act, the program provides training for low-income, unemployed seniors. Participants also have access to employment assistance through american job centers. Scsep participants gain work experience in a variety of community service activities at non-profit and public facilities, including schools, day-care centers and senior centers. Participants work an average of 20 hours a week and are paid the federal minimum wage. This training serves as a bridge to unsubsidized employment opportunities for participants. Participants must be at least 55, unemployed and have a family income of no more than 125% of the federal poverty level. Enrollment priority is given to veterans and qualified spouses, then to individuals who are over 65, have a disability, have low literacy skills or limited english proficiency, reside in a rural Area, are homeless or at risk of homelessness, have low employment prospects or have failed to find employment after using services through the american job center system.

The Agency is designated by the governors office of elderly affairs as the Aging and disability resource center (adrc) for a 13-parish (county) Area. The adrc offers a "one-stop-shop" for public and private programs at the community level that will help individuals who are 60 years and older and individuals with adult onset disabilities. This program helps consumers find the answers and information needed to improve their health, independence and quality of life. Programs operated through the adrc include senior prescription drug program (seniorx) that links qualified low-income and disabled adults to free or discounted drugs direct from the pharmaceutical manufacturer; standford universitys chronic disease and diabetics self management programs provide workshops to help participants get the support and resources to educate them with handling chronic diseases like diabetes. All of us program helps collect information to help with the study of diseases and treatment for older americans.