Area Agency on Aging New Jersey: Your County ADRC Contact Guide

Every county in New Jersey has an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) that serves as the front door to senior services. Whether your parent needs home care, meal delivery, respite care, or help applying for Medicaid, the AAA is where the process starts.

New Jersey wraps its AAAs into a statewide network called the Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC). You can reach any county's AAA by calling the statewide ADRC hotline at 1-877-222-3737.

What the AAA Actually Does

The AAA is not a care provider — it is a care coordinator. When you call, an intake specialist completes the Screen for Community Services (SCS), a scored phone assessment that evaluates your parent's physical dependency, medical instability, and cognitive status on a 1-to-5 scale.

Based on that score, the AAA routes your parent to the appropriate program:

• Score 3–5 (high risk of nursing home placement): Prioritized for Medicaid MLTSS clinical assessment and financial application referral
• Above Medicaid income limits: Referred to JACC (state-funded home care) or the Statewide Respite Care Program
• Needs nutrition or transportation: Connected to county meal delivery and senior transit programs

The SCS phone screening typically completes within 1 to 3 business days of your initial call.

Services Coordinated Through the AAA

Your county AAA administers or connects families to:

• JACC program — state-funded home care for seniors above Medicaid limits (up to $1,090/month in services)
• Statewide Respite Care Program — temporary substitute care for unpaid caregivers (up to $6,559.63/year)
• Home-delivered meals — Meals on Wheels and county nutrition programs
• Senior transportation — rides to medical appointments and essential errands
• Caregiver support — training, counseling, and support groups through the National Family Caregiver Support Program
• Benefits screening — help identifying eligibility for PAAD/Senior Gold prescription programs, property tax relief, and utility assistance

The AAA's Role in the Medicaid Process

The AAA does not approve Medicaid applications — that is the County Welfare Agency's job. But the AAA is often the trigger. When the SCS identifies a senior at high risk, the AAA initiates the referral chain: financial application to the CWA and clinical screening through the regional Office of Community Choice Options (OCCO).

For families who are unsure whether their parent qualifies for Medicaid or a state-funded alternative, the AAA intake call is the single best starting point. The specialist will assess both clinical need and financial situation and route you to the right program.

How to Contact Your County AAA

The fastest route is the statewide ADRC line: 1-877-222-3737. The system automatically routes your call to the AAA serving your parent's county of residence.

You can also visit in person — each county office handles walk-in assessments during business hours. The Division of Aging Services maintains a county-by-county directory on the NJ Department of Human Services website.

The New Jersey Home Care Guide includes a county contact directory and a pre-call preparation checklist so you have your parent's medical history, medication list, and financial snapshot ready before the intake screening.

See more New Jersey guides →