Terrebonne Council on Aging helps Seniors remain in their homes and live independently

The Terrebonne Council on Aging operates out of three centres in Terrebonne Parish, two of which (including the agency’s headquarters) are in Houma.  It is one of Louisiana’s thirty-one Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), local aging programs that provide information, services and a range of assistance for older adults and those who care for them.

In 2003, the Council moved from its old headquarters on Verret Street due to problems with lead-based paint and asbestos; the new building on West Tunnel Boulevard is more centrally-placed, and is over three times the size of the previous center, which has allowed the organization to broaden its reach and improve the level of quality of all of its services over recent years.  In fact, the same funding stream which led to the acquisition of the new premises allowed the agency to double the number of services it provides in a very short time frame, dramatically increasing its role as a central part of the local community support infrastructure.

Services provided by the Council on Aging are accessible to those aged 60 or over, and are not provided based on assessment of income levels.  Instead the Council takes a holistic approach to determining a person’s level of need, assessing factors such as wellness and level of physical ability.  While they do usually ask their service users for donations, those who cannot afford to contribute financially are under no obligation or expectation to do so.

The agency operates a popular meals-on-wheels service, which delivers food to hundreds of housebound elderly persons throughout the parish each day.  In addition, they operate a number of feeding sites at various locations in the community.  The Council on Aging provides the food materials and transports the meals to their recipients, while the parish provides the manpower for the meals’ preparation and a location for cooking – currently the old jail above the courthouse, which has led to the program becoming known as the Jail Kitchen.

Other services provided by the Council on Aging include regular telephone contact and check-ins, recreational and social activities, a transport assistance program which takes elderly people to the Veteran’s Hospital in New Orleans and to the Lyons Eye Clinic, and nutrition education; in fact, the Council on Aging’s nutrition program, which was developed in cooperation with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, has been held up as a model of professional excellence and has been showcased both state-wide and nationally.

Call 985-868-8411 so speak with an agency case worker about supportive programs to ensure that you can continue to live independently in your own home.