COUNCIL ON AGING-SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INC

For 52 years, the Council on Aging - Southern California (COASC) has promoted the independence, health, and dignity of adults through compassion, education, and advocacy. Our focus is strengthening the safety net and basic need services for vulnerable older and dependent adults.

Our direct services aim to reduce the health, social, and environmental disparities of older adults. COASC accomplishes our mission by: 1) promoting mental health and connecting seniors to resources that improve their overall health and quality of life through our Friendly Visitor and ReConnect Programs, 2) providing education on avoiding financial predators through our Senior Protection Program, 3) advocating for elderly and disabled long-term care facility residents through our Ombudsman Program, 4) offering unbiased Medicare counseling through our HICAP Program, 5) publishing/distributing Answers, a free, comprehensive resource guide for seniors, and 6) finally recognizing thousands of isolated seniors during the holidays with gifts through our SmileMakers Program. Many of our services are available in multiple languages to increase access.