Our Agency

Overview

With the assistance of area providers, COAAA arranges and coordinates services to help individuals with activities of daily living such as homemaking, transportation, home delivered meals, personal care, and more. COAAA offers education and resources to caregivers, professionals, and the public and advocates for programs and policies that benefit older adults and individuals with disabilities. COAAA manages services for 15,000 people and funds services for another 25,000 older adults in eight counties.

The eight counties in COAAA’s planning and service area are Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union. Information about county demographics and partner organizations is available on our Regional Needs Assessment & County Resources page.

For a more comprehensive look at COAAA, learn more through our 2024 Impact Report.

Mission & Vision

The mission of the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA) is to inform and support people as they navigate the experience of aging or disability. Our vision is for individuals and families to have knowledge and access to the information and resources they need to live life with dignity and independence.

History

COAAA was established in 1974 and operated as a Division of the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department until 2025, when the Regional Council of Governments for the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging was established. Area Agencies on Aging were established under the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 1973 to respond to the needs of Americans 60 and over. State units on aging, such as the Ohio Department of Aging, were given authority to designate Area Agencies on Aging within planning and service areas designated throughout the states. Every county in the US is served by an Area Agency on Aging (AAA).

Local governments were given right of first refusal to operate AAAs. Melvin B. Dodge, who served as director of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department (CRPD) from 1967 to 1985, urged the City of Columbus to accept the Area Agencies on Aging designation for Central Ohio. It was an important addition to the CRPD's ongoing commitment to older adults, which included operation of 10 senior centers. COAAA started in 1974 with 10 employees. At the start of 2023, COAAA had grown to nearly 400 staff members.