[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 45, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 45CFR1321.53]

[Page 265-266]
 
                        TITLE 45--PUBLIC WELFARE
 
CHAPTER XIII--OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 
                           AND HUMAN SERVICES
 
PART 1321--GRANTS TO STATE AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ON AGING--Table of Contents
 
                 Subpart C--Area Agency Responsibilities
 
Sec. 1321.53  Mission of the area agency.


    (a) The Older Americans Act intends that the area agency on aging 
shall be the leader relative to all aging issues on behalf of all older 
persons in the planning and service area. This means that the area 
agency shall proactively carry out, under the leadership and direction 
of the State agency, a wide range of functions related to advocacy, 
planning, coordination, inter-agency linkages, information sharing, 
brokering, monitoring and evaluation, designed to lead to the 
development or enhancement of comprehensive and coordinated community 
based systems in, or serving, each community in the planning and service 
area. These systems shall be designed to assist older persons in leading 
independent, meaningful and dignified lives in their own homes and 
communities as long as possible.
    (b) A comprehensive and coordinated community based system described 
in paragraph (a) of this section shall:
    (1) Have a visible focal point of contact where anyone can go or 
call for help, information or referral on any aging issue;
    (2) Provide a range of options:
    (3) Assure that these options are readily accessible to all older 
persons: The independent, semi-dependent and totally dependent, no 
matter what their income;
    (4) Include a commitment of public, private, voluntary and personal 
resources committed to supporting the system;
    (5) Involve collaborative decision-making among public, private, 
voluntary, religious and fraternal organizations and older people in the 
community;
    (6) Offer special help or targetted resources for the most 
vulnerable older persons, those in danger of losing their independence;
    (7) Provide effective referral from agency to agency to assure that 
information or assistance is received, no matter how or where contact is 
made in the community;
    (8) Evidence sufficient flexibility to respond with appropriate 
individualized assistance, especially for the vulnerable older person;
    (9) Have a unique character which is tailored to the specific nature 
of the community;
    (10) Be directed by leaders in the community who have the respect, 
capacity and authority necessary to convene all interested persons, 
assess needs, design solutions, track overall success, stimulate change 
and plan community responses for the present and for the future.
    (c) The resources made available to the area agency on aging under 
the Older Americans Act are to be used to finance those activities 
necessary to achieve elements of a community based system set forth in 
paragraph (b) of this section. For the purpose of assuring access to 
information and services for older persons, the area agency

[[Page 266]]

shall work with elected community officials in the planning and service 
area to designate one or more focal points on aging in each community, 
as appropriate. The area agency shall list designated focal points in 
the area plan. It shall be the responsibility of the area agency, with 
the approval of the State agency, to define ``community'' for the 
purposes of this section. Since the Older Americans Act defines focal 
point as a ``facility'' established to encourage the maximum collocation 
and coordination of services for older individuals, special 
consideration shall be given to developing and/or designating multi-
purpose senior centers as community focal points on aging. The area 
agency on aging shall assure that services financed under the Older 
Americans Act in, or on behalf of, the community will be either based 
at, linked to or coordinated with the focal points designated. The area 
agency on aging shall assure access from the designated focal points to 
services financed under the Older Americans Act. The area agency on 
aging shall work with, or work to assure that community leadership works 
with, other applicable agencies and institutions in the community to 
achieve maximum collocation at, coordination with or access to other 
services and opportunities for the elderly from the designated community 
focal points. The area agency may not engage in any activity which is 
inconsistent with its statutory mission prescribed in the Act or 
policies prescribed by the State under Sec. 1321.11.