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Eldercare Locator
U.S. Administration for Community Living
The federal government's official directory service connecting families to local aging and caregiving services anywhere in the country.
Who it's for
Anyone who knows they need help but doesn't know which local agency to call -- Eldercare Locator exists specifically to point you to the right place.
When to use this
As a starting point when you need a local service -- home care, transportation, meals, respite, legal aid -- and don't know which organization in your area provides it.
Why MemoryPath recommends this
It is the only official, federally funded national directory built specifically to connect people to local aging services, run by the U.S. Administration for Community Living since 1991.
Services provided
- Phone- and web-based referral to local Area Agencies on Aging
- Connections to local respite, transportation, meal, and home care services
- Help finding legal assistance and elder abuse resources by location
Why this matters
Most caregiving and aging services in the U.S. are delivered locally, through a patchwork of county and regional agencies -- which makes it genuinely hard to know who to call. Eldercare Locator's entire purpose is solving that specific problem: one federal phone number and website that routes you to the right local agency.
How it works
Call 1-800-677-1116 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET) or search online by ZIP code, and a specialist connects you with your local Area Agency on Aging and relevant services -- respite care, transportation, home-delivered meals, legal aid, and more.
A note on scope
Eldercare Locator is a referral service, not a direct service provider -- it points you to the organization that can actually help, which is often a local Area Agency on Aging.