Southwestern Commission Area Agency on Aging – Region A

The Southwestern Commission Area Agency on Aging ( AAA) works on behalf of older adults and their caregivers in the seven southwestern counties of North Carolina, including the counties of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Direct Services include:

• Family Caregiver Support
  • The goal of the Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP) is to provide caregivers with the needed support to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress and enable them to provide care longer, thereby avoiding or delaying the need for costly institutional care.
• The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
  • The Regional Long Term Care Ombudsman works closely with Community Advisory Committees for Long Term Care to serve as a link between the local communities and the long-term health care facilities in each county.
• Senior Medicare Patrol Program
  • The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is a preventive educational program whose goal is to reduce Medicare error, fraud, and abuse.
• The Health Promotion Program
  • The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Programs provide adults with evidence-based techniques and strategies to delay and/or manage chronic health conditions and include activities that promote: improved nutrition, emotional and social well-being, physical fitness and fall prevention to help older adults and their caregivers better manage their health.
• The Legal Program
  • The Legal Program provides vouchers to eligible seniors age 60 and over, which are valid for the preparation of either a durable Power of Attorney or a simple Last Will & Testament.
• Senior Health Insurance Information Program
  • SHIIP counsels Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers on the following topics: Medicare, Medicare Supplements, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and Long-term Care Insurance.

For more information about any of the services listed contact the Region A Area Agency on Aging at 828-586-1962