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, DCOA also provides nursing home care and services to District residents 18 years of age and older. Currently, the DCOA/District owns two nursing facilities that are privately operated and managed. The Washington Center for Aging Services (WCAS), is leased to Stoddard Baptist Home Foundation and Unique Residential Care Facility is leased to Vital Management Team (VMT). It also funds a Senior Service Network comprising 20 community-based nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to the District's elderly citizens.

The 20 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 seven 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.