AAAD Tennessee: What Area Agencies on Aging Do and How to Find Your Regional Office

You're trying to find help for your aging parent but you don't know where to start. There are Medicare questions, Medicaid questions, questions about home care, transportation, and whether there's any state assistance that doesn't require being in poverty to qualify. The number of agencies and programs is overwhelming.

Tennessee's Area Agencies on Aging and Disability are designed to be exactly the first call for this situation. They exist to cut through the complexity and connect older adults and their families to the services that exist in their county.

What Is an AAAD?

Area Agencies on Aging and Disability (AAADs) are regional organizations funded through Tennessee's Commission on Aging and Disability, federal Older Americans Act funding, and state appropriations. There are nine regional AAADs covering all of Tennessee's 95 counties.

They are not direct service providers in most cases — they are care coordinators and resource connectors. Their staff knows what programs exist in each county, which have waitlists, and how to help families navigate the application process.

Statewide intake line: 1-866-836-6678

This line connects to the appropriate regional AAAD based on your parent's county. It's the right first call if you don't know where to start.

The Nine Regional AAADs

Tennessee's nine AAADs are:

1. First Tennessee Development District — Northeast Tennessee (Johnson City area)
2. East Tennessee Human Resource Agency — Knox County and surrounding counties
3. Southeast Tennessee Development District — Chattanooga area
4. Upper Cumberland Development District — Cookeville area
5. Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency — Nashville/Davidson County and surrounding area
6. South Central Tennessee Development District — Columbia/Lawrenceburg area
7. Southwest Tennessee Development District — Jackson area
8. Tennessee Valley Authority Area Agency — West Tennessee
9. Delta Human Resource Agency — Memphis/Shelby County area

Each regional AAAD employs care coordinators who conduct in-home assessments and link clients to services. Some also directly administer programs like OPTIONS for Community Living.

What Services AAADs Help Access

OPTIONS for Community Living

OPTIONS is a state-funded program that provides home and community-based care services to Tennessee adults ages 60+ (or 18–59 with a disability) who need assistance with at least three Activities of Daily Living (ADL) or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Unlike TennCare CHOICES, OPTIONS has no hard income or asset limit.

AAADs are the gatekeepers to OPTIONS enrollment. If your parent doesn't qualify for TennCare (or while waiting for TennCare application processing), OPTIONS is often the right bridge program.

OPTIONS cost sharing:

• 0% cost share for income at or below 200% of the Federal Benefit Rate
• Sliding scale from 0% to 45% for income 200–600% FBR
• 100% cost share above 600% FBR (these individuals are effectively private-pay)

The annual service cap is approximately $5,000–$7,000 per person; average OPTIONS spending is roughly $3,500/year. Not a full care solution for high-need clients, but meaningful support for those who primarily need help with IADLs (housekeeping, transportation, meal preparation).

Caregiver Support Programs

AAADs administer Tennessee's family caregiver support programs, funded through the National Family Caregiver Support Program (Title III-E of the Older Americans Act). Services may include:

• Caregiver information and counseling
• Referrals to support groups
• Respite care (temporary relief for family caregivers)
• Supplemental services for caregivers of older adults or grandparents raising grandchildren

These services are for the caregiver — the adult child or family member providing the care — not just the care recipient.

Home-Delivered and Congregate Meals

AAADs coordinate Older Americans Act nutrition programs, which include:

• Home-delivered meals (commonly branded as Meals on Wheels locally)
• Congregate meals at senior centers

These are typically means-tested but may have waiting lists in some counties. Eligibility is age 60+ with some nutritional need.

Legal Assistance

AAADs can connect older adults to legal aid services for issues including advance care planning, benefits applications, landlord-tenant disputes, and elder financial abuse. Most Tennessee counties have legal services organizations that serve seniors at no or low cost.

Medicare Counseling (SHIP)

The Tennessee State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is administered through AAADs. SHIP counselors provide free, unbiased help understanding Medicare coverage, choosing between Medicare plans, and filing Medicare claims and appeals. This is separate from any insurance sales relationship — SHIP counselors are prohibited from selling insurance products.

Transportation

AAADs coordinate transportation services for older adults in many counties, including volunteer driver programs and connections to local transit. This is separate from (and complementary to) TennCare's MyRide TN program for Medicaid members.

What AAADs Cannot Do

AAADs are coordinators, not providers of medical care. They cannot:

• Prescribe medications or manage medical treatment
• Authorize TennCare CHOICES services (that's the MCO's role)
• Provide legal representation
• Make decisions for an individual without their consent

They also vary in capacity by county. Urban AAADs in Nashville or Memphis may have robust programming; rural AAADs may have fewer direct resources and longer wait times for services.

How to Make the Most of the First Call

When you call 1-866-836-6678, be prepared to describe:

• Your parent's age, county, and living situation
• What daily activities they're struggling with
• Whether they're on TennCare/Medicare or private-pay
• What your immediate concern is (safety at home, caregiver burnout, financial questions, etc.)

The AAAD intake worker will triage your situation and connect you to the appropriate care coordinator or program. If the first call doesn't result in a useful referral, ask specifically about OPTIONS enrollment, the SHIP program, and any caregiver support services.

AAADs are the starting point for Tennessee's support network, but the full picture of home care options — from TennCare CHOICES to consumer direction to legal planning — takes more than one call to sort out. The Tennessee Home Care & Aging in Place Guide maps the complete system, so you know what questions to ask and what to expect at each step.

See more Tennessee guides →