What is the Role of the
Area Agency on Aging

By June Moore,
Assistance Specialist
Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging

The Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging (LMTAAA) was created in 1976 in response to the growing number of older people and the diversity of their needs. LMTAAA advocates for elders and disabled adults, as well as plans, organizes, develops and funds services for them. Utilizing federal and state funding, the LMTAAA contracts for services with community organizations providing adult day care, nutrition programs and transportation as well as other services.

Offices are located in Olympia, Shelton, Chehalis and Morton. LMTAAA receives funding from the Federal Older Americans Act, Washington State Senior Citizens Service Act, Title XIX of Medicaid, and individual and community donations. All three counties in our region sponsor LMTAAA.

The Area Agency on Aging is responsible for Case Management of the COPES, Medicaid Personal Care and Respite Programs. These programs provide services that allow elders and eligible disabled adults to live independently and safely in their own homes and communities, utilizing a range of community-based supportive services that promote dignity and individual choice.

Case Management staff also provide coordination of personal care, in-home meals, adult day care, transportation, environmental modifications, specialized medical equipment, and personal emergency response systems. Case managers have access to consulting nurses who assist them with client medical issues, helping them to stabilize the clients’ in-home care plan. LMTAAA contracts with public and private entities and arranges for delivery of these services to clients.
In addition to these vital services, the Area Agency on Aging operates the Information and Assistance Program which is essential in guiding and linking elders and caregivers to appropriate social and health services including those in the private sector as well as publicly funded programs, helping all seniors regardless of income level.

Today, seniors face a complicated array of choices regarding housing, home health care, nutrition, access to medical and dental care, skyrocketing medication costs, financial and legal management, transportation and long-term care options. Assistance Specialists maintain up-to-date files of available services and programs and the eligibility requirements of each. They help seniors by providing telephone referrals to available programs, in-person assistance with the application process and advocacy in securing services. The Information and Assistance Program also provides outreach activities within the community, publicizing the availability of the Area Agency on Aging services.

The Family Caregiver Support Program, another essential program provided by the Area Agency on Aging, supports and sustains unpaid family caregivers who make it possible for ill or disabled loved ones to remain in their homes. Among non-institutionalized persons needing assistance with activities of daily living, two-thirds depend solely on family and friends, and another one-fourth supplement care from paid providers with care by family members. Since caring for a disabled or ill person can be a full-time responsibility with few chances for time away, the Family Caregiver Support Program offers respite services. This allows caregivers a break from their daily routine by providing temporary care for loved ones in or out of the home.
The Family Caregiver Support Program has Caregiver Resource Libraries in each LMTAAA office fully stocked with books, newsletters, magazines, brochures and videos for use on site or at home.

In addition to our resource libraries and respite care, the Family Caregiver Support Program provides skills training, retreats, support group assistance, education and supplemental services. The program also assists support groups in our communities that provide resources, support and navigator services to grandparents and other relatives raising a child.

The aging of America presents many challenges as well as opportunities. Our goal is to ensure the dignity of older Americans in their own homes, and allow them the opportunity to contribute their experience, talent and knowledge for the enrichment of our communities through the programs supported by the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging.

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