Area Agency on Aging

Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is one of 16 Area Agencies on Aging in the state of North Carolina.

There are six standards which the Area Agencies of North Carolina meet. They are listed below with examples of our work.

• Management and Staffing: The AAA is staffed in positions supported with aging funds to fulfill the goals and objectives for the region. 
• Planning: County planning committees for services to the elderly are in each county in the 5-county region. 
• Funds Administration and Quality Assurance: It is the responsibility of the AAA staff to monitor all contractual programs, including the standards associated with the services and the budgeting necessary to provide the services. 
• Information Brokerage: The Area Agency on Aging plays a lead role in assisting individuals, communities, healthcare facilities, public officials, and others in becoming aware of and knowledgeable about aging issues of older adults and caregivers. 
• Program, Resource, and Systems Development: It is a major role of the AAA to engage in activities that promote a system of care for older adults that is accessible.
• Advocacy: The AAA assures that the individual and collective interests of older adults, their caregivers and families, and individuals with disabilities will be safeguarded and recognized. The Senior Tar Heel Legislature is instrumental in advocating alongside the AAAs to make elected officials aware of these interests.

The Area Agency on Aging has a Regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman Staff dedicated to monitoring the rights of residents in institutionalized settings, both skilled nursing and adult care homes. They deal with complaints associated with Residents’ Rights. 

The Upper Coastal Plain  Area Agency on Aging is guided by a four-year Regional Area Plan on Aging, and supported by the Regional Aging Advisory Committee (RAAC).

COMPASS is a non-profit formed to work in conjunction with the Area Agency on Aging, a service of the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments, to plan and administer a variety of federal, state, and local programs and services. The counties served include, but are not limited to, Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton, and Wilson.

COMPASS is an organization working in conjunction with the Area Agency on Aging to inform, advocate, and plan for community services on behalf of disabled and older adults.

The COMPASS organization works with the AAA and advisory committees in each county to study the needs of older adults, family caregivers, and the disabled and plan for services to meet those needs. The service goal is to enable disabled and older adults aged 60 and better to live independently in their own homes.

North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature (NC STHL). With the passage of Senate Bill 479, the North Carolina General Assembly created the North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature (STHL) in July of 1993.

The Senior Tar Heel Legislature was created to:

• Provide information to senior citizens on the legislative process and matters being considered by the North Carolina General Assembly.
• Promote citizen involvement and advocacy concerning aging issues before the North Carolina General Assembly.
• Assess the legislative needs of older citizens by convening a forum modeled after the North Carolina General Assembly.

Each 100 North Carolina counties is entitled to one delegate to the STHL. Most counties also have an alternate delegate. Delegates and alternates must be age 60 or older and residents of their respective counties. The North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services provides staff support for the STHL in cooperation with the 16 Area Agencies on Aging. 

The Senior Tar Heel Legislators meet three times a year statewide to advocate on behalf of older persons. The statewide meetings occur in March, June, and October. The March and June meetings are in Clemmons, NC and the October Meeting is usually in Raleigh. Regional STHL meetings and engagements are held to provide opportunities to connect on a regional level. Delegates and alternates from each county advocate with the North Carolina General Assembly for the passage of legislation to improve the lives of older adults. You can learn more about the statewide STHL here: NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature | NCDHHS.

Upper Coastal Plain Area Agency on Aging selects delegates and alternates in cooperation with the counties to secure the representatives elected by January 15th of odd-numbered years to serve a two-term year.

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