Who We Are
Massachusetts Councils on Aging (MCOA) is a nonprofit, membership association of the 350 municipal councils on aging and senior centers. COAs are the first stop on the continuum of care. We support the 1.7 million older adults, 60 and over in Massachusetts, lead healthy, purposeful lives.
Recent News
Membership Alert: Cognitive Behavioral Health Follow-Ups
Join us for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Q&A Session Follow ups: Thank you to all who participated in the workshops on using cognitive behavioral therapy. To support your work, MCOA and JF&CS are offering two follow up Q&A sessions to those who...
MCOA Membership Alert: FY21 EMHOT
MCOA is asking our membership to join elder Advocates from around the state to contact their Senators to support the Elder Mental Health Outreach Teams (EMHOT) Amendment. Amendment 206 filed by Becca Rausch, and co-sponsored by Senators Comerford and Jehlen, requests...
MCOA Alert- Call Your Senators for SHINE $
MCOA Membership Alert: FY21 SHINE MCOA is asking our membership to join elder Advocates from around the state to contact their Senators to support the SHINE Amendment. Amendment 204 filed by Becca Rausch and Pat Jehlen provides $1m in additional resources for a...
MCOA Legislative Alert: SWM Budget Level Funds- AS REQUESTED
MCOA Membership: The Senate Ways and Means just released its version of the FY21 (this year’s) Budget Proposal and it level funds both our line items as we requested. The $17m for 9110-9002/local aid to COAs allows for full funding of the Service Incentive Grant...
MCOA Membership Legislative Alert FY21 Revised
MCOA Members: What an interesting time we live in. I hope all of you and your loved ones remain healthy as we navigate these uncharted waters. As I mentioned during our 5-day virtual conference last week, I have never been as proud of our network as you all...
Featured Events
Virtual Memory Café
Small and Rural Conference
MA SMP Conference
Membership Meeting
What is a COA Today?
COAs serve as a conduits for accessing a range of municipal services that may seem out-of-reach to older residents. They are the focal point where older adults and their families can access the local and state network of elder services, while providing an integrated array of social, health, recreational and education programs for older men and women. COAs offer programs, services and activities that benefit more than 540,000 older people, and their families and caregivers annually.
COAs conduct more than 100 programs from information and referral to benefits, outreach, transportation, and meals and other food programs to health screenings, health insurance information benefits counseling, fitness, recreation, computer access, education and life-long learning, among others. In most communities, the COA serves as the only public social service agency and assists all town residents with access to public benefits.
Each COA determines its own priorities based on unique local circumstances, resources and interests. Regardless of design, a local senior center is often a home away from home for socializing, learning, wellness, “giving back,” or just a reason to get out of the house. For the rapidly growing older population, COAs and senior centers provide a safe place for Massachusetts older adults to remain independent productive and in the community for as long as possible.