AAAs

Your Local Agency on Aging -
A Collaborator for aging well

Carly Williams, Program Manager, Southern Maine Agency on Aging
Mary Hadlock, Community Ambassador, Southern Maine Agency on Aging
Louise McCleery, Community Ambassador, Spectrum Generations
Debbie Bechard, Community Ambassador, SeniorsPlus
Ginny Joles, Community Ambassador, Aroostook Area Agency on Aging

Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and age-friendly communities have a lot in common - both are committed to equipping older people to thrive. In this chapter, you'll learn about Maine's 5 Area Agencies on Aging, the services they offer, and how lifelong communities can leverage the services, programs, and resources to make a difference for people in your community.

Maine's Area Agencies on Aging

In this section, you'll meet Maine's five Area Agencies on Aging, understand their rich history, and the one-stop, point-of-entry role they play in helping older people, families, and care partners navigate services, resources, and information related to aging. Learn more about the federal Older Americans Act funding that supports AAA services, who AAAs serve, core services offered by AAAs, and the collaborations that expand and enhance their reach and impact. You'll also get to know your local agency on aging through an interactive activity.

Contact you local AAA to learn more about their specific services and unique regional flavor. Each agency services a specific geographic area of Maine.

Activity - AAA Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Scavenger Hunt! This exercise will help you navigate the website of your nearest AAA and gain familiarity with the services and support available to you and your community. Use the contact information and links below to explore your local AAA. We hope this helps you learn about the services your local AAA offers!

Access the Scavenger Hunt PDF.

Scavenger Hunt Exercise

Click the icons below to visit each Area Agency on Aging website.

Reflection

Can you think of any community members who could benefit from AAA services that you could refer today?

What services could benefit your community that AAA offers?

What barriers or resistance to accessing AAA services have you heard from your community members?

Click here to complete the first of two reflections in this chapter. Entering the reflection will also record your progress. Important: Complete each section before moving on to its corresponding reflection. When you return to the form, you will automatically be taken to where you last left off.

Leveraging AAA Services In Your Community

In this section you'll learn more about the referral process and what to expect when connecting a community member to an Area Agency on Aging, suggestions to help you plan ahead when there's interest in bringing agency on aging services to your community and examples of partnerships between AAAs and age friendly communities. AAA resources are often underutilized, so you'll also hear ideas for raising awareness among people in your community, as well as some examples of life-changing impacts for folks who have received services through their AAA.

Activity - Understanding AAA Services

Learn more about a variety of core Older Americans Act funded, Agency on Aging services. Hover over each image below to learn more about that program.

Reflection

What needs do you see in your community that AAA services could help with?

What do you want your local AAA(s) to know about your community?

Click here to complete the final reflection in this chapter and record successful completion of the AAA chapter. Note: Clicking will bring you back to where you left off when you completed your last reflection. When you have finished, please click "submit" to record completion of the AAA chapter.

Chapter Handout - Maine's AAAs - An Overview

Chapter Handout - Leveraging AAA Resources in Your Community

During this chapter, we hope you will gain a few tools for working with your Area Agency on Aging.
If you have any questions as you are going through the material, please email: lifelong@maine.edu.

The Lifelong Maine Skill Building Series was developed as part of the Community Connections project.
Funding for the project was provided through support of the Governor's Cabinet on Aging and Office of Aging and Disability Services.
We are deeply grateful for the funding and for the thought leadership provided by Elizabeth Gattien, Coordinator of the Governor's Cabinet on Aging.

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Your Local Agency on Aging -A Collaborator for aging well

Maine's Area Agencies on Aging

Activity - AAA Scavenger Hunt

Reflection

Leveraging AAA Services In Your Community

Activity - Understanding AAA Services

Reflection

Your Local Agency on Aging -
A Collaborator for aging well