A comprehensive guide to the state agency that funds, oversees, and coordinates services for older adults, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers across all 58 California counties.
Last updated: June 2, 2026
What Is the California Department of Aging?
The California Department of Aging (CDA) is a state agency under the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), headquartered in Sacramento. It was created to centralize planning and administration of services for older adults — a population that is growing faster than any other age group in the state.
At its core, the CDA does not directly provide services to individuals. Instead, it operates as a funder, regulator, and coordinator — distributing federal and state dollars to a network of local agencies that then deliver services on the ground. If you need a service, you will almost never interact with the CDA directly. You will interact with your local Area Agency on Aging or a contracted service provider.
The CDA’s stated mission is to ensure that all Californians have the opportunity to age with dignity, regardless of age, disability, race, ethnicity, immigration status, religion, income, geography, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, or family status.
"By 2030, 10.8 million Californians will be age 60 or over — representing one quarter of the state's population. This growth rate is larger than any other age group."
As of late 2024, the CDA is led by Director Susan DeMarois, who previously served as the Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for the Alzheimer’s Association before her gubernatorial appointment.
Legal Authority and Funding Sources
The CDA operates under two primary legal frameworks — one federal, one state.
The Older Americans Act (OAA) — Federal
Originally enacted in 1965 and reauthorized multiple times since, the Older Americans Act is the federal law that authorizes most of the CDA’s programming. California receives more than $160 million annually in OAA funding. This money flows from the federal Administration for Community Living (ACL) to the CDA, and from the CDA to local Area Agencies on Aging, which then contract with local service providers. OAA funding is organized into “Titles” — most programmatic funding falls under Title III, which covers nutrition, supportive services, caregiver support, and disease prevention.
The Older Californians Act — State
This is California’s own parallel law (Welfare and Institutions Code, Division 8.5, Chapters 1–14) that creates the state-level framework for aging services, including the mandate for the Area Agency on Aging network. It operates alongside — and often supplements — the federal Older Americans Act.
Medi-Cal
Several CDA programs (MSSP and CBAS) are funded through California’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal. These programs operate under federal waiver authority — California has received special permission to use Medicaid funds to finance home- and community-based services as an alternative to nursing home placement.
Why funding source matters for IHSS Connect users
Different funding streams carry different eligibility rules, income tests, and service limits. A caregiver or care recipient may be eligible for some programs but not others depending on their Medi-Cal status, age, county of residence, and level of need. Knowing which program is funded how is the first step to understanding eligibility.
The Area Agency on Aging Network
The CDA’s primary delivery mechanism is its network of 33 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). Each AAA covers one or more counties — called a Planning and Service Area (PSA) — and is responsible for planning, funding, and coordinating aging services within its territory.
AAAs are not all the same type of entity. Some are county government departments, some are nonprofit organizations, and some are councils of governments. What they share is a contract with the CDA and responsibility for local service delivery. AAAs do not typically deliver services directly — they subcontract with local nonprofits, service providers, and community organizations to do so.
| AAA Role | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Area Planning | Each AAA produces a 4-year Area Plan that identifies local needs and sets service priorities for its county or region. |
| Funding Allocation | AAAs receive OAA and state funds from CDA and subgrant to local providers for nutrition, transportation, legal aid, and more. |
| Service Coordination | They serve as a hub connecting older adults to the right programs, including IHSS referrals. |
| Information & Assistance | Anyone can call 1-800-510-2020 to be connected to services in their county. |
| Caregiver Support | AAAs administer the National Family Caregiver Support Program, providing respite, training, and support groups. |
The single most important phone number in the California aging system is 1-800-510-2020 — the statewide line that routes callers to their local Area Agency of Aging.
Major CDA Programs Explained
The CDA administers a wide range of programs. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the most significant ones, grouped by function.
Nutrition & Food Access
Congregate Meals (OAA Title III-C1)
Free group meals served at senior centers, faith sites, and community locations. Designed to combat social isolation as much as hunger. No means test — voluntary contributions only.
Home-Delivered Meals (OAA Title III-C2)
Free nutritious meals delivered to homebound older adults who cannot leave their homes. Also includes nutrition counseling and risk screening.
CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL)
Formerly SNAP-Ed. Provides nutrition education to low-income older adults — delivered in partnership with UC Cooperative Extension.
Medical & Health Programs (Medi-Cal Funded)
Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS)
A Medi-Cal day health program for adults at risk of institutional care due to chronic medical, cognitive, or mental health conditions. Centers provide nursing, therapies (PT/OT/speech), mental health services, meals, and transportation. Each participant receives a comprehensive assessment and individualized care plan.
Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP)
A Medi-Cal 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver for frail adults 65+ who would otherwise qualify for nursing facility placement. Learn more about MSSP.
Information, Counseling & Legal Services
HICAP — Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program
Free, unbiased one-on-one Medicare counseling delivered by trained volunteers. Covers Medicare options, drug plans, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and long-term care insurance.
Legal Services
OAA-funded legal assistance for older adults on elder abuse, housing, consumer fraud, Social Security, SSI, Medicare, Medi-Cal, age discrimination, pensions, conservatorships, and nursing home issues.
Friendship Line California
A toll-free warmline for older adults experiencing loneliness, depression, or anxiety. Not a crisis line — a compassionate conversation line staffed by trained volunteers. Call 1-800-670-1360.
Caregiver Support
National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)
OAA Title III-E funded. Administered through AAAs. Provides respite care, caregiver training, individual counseling, and support groups for family and informal caregivers of adults 60+.
Caregiver Resource Centers (CRCs)
Eleven regional centers across California providing specialized support to caregivers of adults with brain impairments — Alzheimer's, stroke, Parkinson's, and more. Find a center near you.
CalCARES Program
California Caregiver Awareness, Resources, Education & Support Program. Focused on expanding caregiver education, awareness, and system navigation statewide. Learn more about CalCARES.
Long-Term Care Oversight
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP)
Advocates for residents in nursing homes and RCFEs. Ombudsmen conduct unannounced quarterly visits, investigate complaints, and address abuse and neglect. The 2025–26 budget included $12.3 million for LTCOP — though advocates sought $15.9 million to fully staff programs statewide.
Employment & Workforce
Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
OAA Title V funded. Provides subsidized part-time community service employment and job training for low-income adults 55+.
CAL GROWs — Direct Care Workforce Program
CDA's initiative to grow California's direct care workforce — home health aides, personal care workers, and CNAs. Includes training, career pathway development, and workforce pipeline building.
Other Notable Programs
ADRC — Aging & Disability Resource Connection
Established under California SB 80. Creates "No Wrong Door" networks where older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers can access long-term services information through a single entry point.
Digital Inclusion — Bridging the Digital Divide
County grants for digital devices, service plans, and training for older adults — addressing the technology gap that isolates seniors from telehealth, benefits applications, and social connection.
DAHFP — Dignity at Home Fall Prevention
Evidence-based fall prevention programs including the Otago Exercise Program, A Matter of Balance, and Stepping On — targeting the leading cause of injury-related death among older adults.
California's Master Plan for Aging
In January 2021, Governor Newsom released California’s Master Plan for Aging (MPA) — a sweeping ten-year roadmap developed between June 2019 and December 2020. The CDA plays a central coordinating role in implementing the MPA, though responsibility is shared across more than a dozen state agencies.
The MPA is organized around five major goals:
Housing for All Ages and Stages
Affordable, accessible housing options that allow older adults to remain in communities of their choice.
Health Reimagined
Access to services needed to live at home and optimize health — including integrating Medi-Cal HCBS with medical care under CalAIM.
Inclusion & Equity, Not Isolation
Combating racism, ageism, and ableism; addressing health inequities that compound with age; protecting immigrants and LGBTQ+ older adults.
Caregiving That Works
Supporting family caregivers and building a sustainable, fairly compensated direct care workforce — including IHSS workers.
Affording Aging
Economic security for older adults, including Medi-Cal access improvements and elimination of asset tests for coverage.
The MPA also established a Local MPA Grant Program that funds cities and counties to develop their own age- and disability-friendly plans. As of 2024, dozens of California communities have engaged in formal planning processes tracked on the MPA Data Dashboard.
Key policy win relevant to IHSS Connect users
The MPA drove California to fully eliminate the Medi-Cal asset test as of January 1, 2024 — meaning older adults no longer need to spend down savings to qualify for Medi-Cal and IHSS. This is one of the most significant eligibility expansions in decades and directly affects caregivers and care recipients on the IHSS Connect platform.
Funding, Gaps, and Current Pressures
The CDA is funded through a combination of federal OAA dollars, Medi-Cal (federal and state match), and state General Fund appropriations. Understanding the funding landscape reveals both the system’s reach and its structural limitations.
Federal OAA Funding
Each year, California receives more than $160 million in OAA funding for programs authorized under the Act and related federal legislation. This is a formula-based allocation — not competitive — and California’s share is substantial given its population size. However, OAA funding has not kept pace with inflation or population growth, creating real-terms declines in per-person service capacity over time.
HCBS Reinvestment Funds (2021–2025)
Following COVID-19, the federal government made enhanced Medicaid matching funds available for home and community-based services (HCBS). California’s HCBS Spending Plan included 26 activities totaling approximately $4.7 billion. Several of these initiatives — including the IHSS Career Pathways training program — were administered in part through or in connection with the CDA network. The IHSS Career Pathways program ended enrollment in September 2024 ahead of schedule because it had already exceeded its allocated funds.
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Underfunding
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program has been a notable pressure point. Advocacy organizations have documented that some regions of California have as few as one paid Ombudsman staff member — an insufficient level to meet federal mandates for unannounced quarterly visits to all licensed nursing facilities. The 2025–26 state budget included $12.3 million for LTCOP programs, though the California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association had sought $15.9 million from existing CDPH reserves to fully staff programs statewide.
The Structural Challenge
The CDA’s core challenge is a mismatch between the speed of demographic growth and the rate of funding and capacity growth. California’s 60+ population is growing faster than any other age group. The AAA network, while broad, was designed for a smaller population and is not uniformly funded across counties. Rural and inland counties often have fewer contracted providers, longer wait times, and thinner service menus than urban coastal counties.
What the CDA Does Not Administer
A critical and frequently misunderstood point: the California Department of Aging does not administer IHSS — the In-Home Supportive Services program. IHSS is administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and delivered at the county level through county welfare departments.
The two systems intersect in important ways — MSSP participants often also receive IHSS, and the MPA’s caregiving goals explicitly address IHSS — but they are separate bureaucratic structures with separate eligibility processes, separate funding streams, and separate county offices.
| Function | CDA | CDSS / County IHSS |
|---|---|---|
| Administers IHSS payments | No | Yes |
| Certifies CBAS centers | Yes | No |
| Oversees MSSP waiver | Yes | No |
| Medicare counseling (HICAP) | Yes | No |
| Long-Term Care Ombudsman | Yes | No |
| IHSS Career Pathways training | Related network | Administered by CDSS |
| Family caregiver support services | Yes (via AAAs) | Limited |
For IHSS Connect users — caregivers and care recipients in the IHSS program — the CDA is the surrounding ecosystem, not the direct employer or program administrator. Understanding the CDA helps navigate supplemental services, but IHSS-specific questions go to county social services.
How to Access CDA Programs
Because the CDA itself does not serve individuals directly, accessing its programs means going through the right local entity. Here are the primary access points:
Call 1-800-510-2020
The statewide Eldercare Locator connects callers to their local Area Agency on Aging. This is the single best starting point for any CDA-funded service.
The CDA's official website lists all programs, AAA locations, HICAP counselors, Ombudsman contacts, and grant opportunities for providers.
Contact Your Local AAA
Your county's Area Agency on Aging can conduct a needs assessment and connect you to the right services — nutrition, transportation, legal aid, caregiver respite, and more.
HICAP for Medicare Help
Call 1-800-434-0222 or find a local HICAP counselor through the CDA website for free, unbiased Medicare counseling.
IHSS Connect Perspective
Why the CDA Matters for IHSS Connect Users
IHSS Connect exists to solve the county-by-county fragmentation in caregiver-to-recipient matching. The CDA is the larger infrastructure surrounding the IHSS program — and its programs directly affect the people IHSS Connect serves.
For care recipients: CDA programs like MSSP, CBAS, HICAP, and home-delivered meals are often complementary to IHSS — filling gaps that IHSS alone doesn't cover, such as medical day services, Medicare navigation, and nutritional support.
For caregivers: The CDA's Family Caregiver Support Program, Caregiver Resource Centers, and CalCARES initiative are specifically designed to reduce burnout, provide training, and offer respite — resources that make sustainable caregiving possible.
For the platform: The AAA network represents a potential referral and partnership infrastructure. The ADRC "No Wrong Door" framework aligns directly with IHSS Connect's mission to reduce fragmentation. The Master Plan for Aging's "Caregiving That Works" goal — including IHSS collective bargaining legislation (AB 283) — shapes the regulatory environment in which the platform operates.
The CDA does not solve the caregiver registry gap that IHSS Connect addresses. But understanding it is essential for any platform operating in California's aging services ecosystem.
