About the Office on Aging

The DC Office on Aging develops and carries out a comprehensive and coordinated system of health, education, employment, and social services for the District's elderly population, who are 60 years of age and older.

Structure

The Office on Aging was created by DC Law 1-24 in 1975 as the District's State and Area Agency on Aging. It is structured to carry out advocacy, leadership, management, program, and fiscal responsibilities. On the program level, the Office on Aging oversees the operation of two on-site programs, the Information and Assistance Center and the Senior Employment and Training Program. In addition, it contracts for and monitors the operation of a District-owned, privately operated nursing home. It also funds a Senior Service Network comprising 20 community-based, nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to the District's elderly citizens.

The 30 community-based, education, government, and private organizations that make up the Senior Service Network operate more than 40 programs for older persons. Crucial to the Network are five Lead Agencies that offer a broad range of legal, nutrition, social, and health services. The goal of these six agencies is to enhance the quality of life for older adults and their families throughout all eight wards of the District of Columbia. The agencies accomplish this goal through widespread distribution of information about the variety of services and programs offered seniors throughout the city and ways to access them.