(a) The Older Americans Act intends that the area agency on aging shall be the leader relative to all aging issues on behalf of all older persons in the planning and service area. This means that the area agency shall proactively carry out, under the leadership and direction of the State agency, a wide range of functions related to advocacy, planning, coordination, inter-agency linkages, information sharing, brokering, monitoring and evaluation, designed to lead to the development or enhancement of comprehensive and coordinated community based systems in, or serving, each community in the planning and service area. These systems shall be designed to assist older persons in leading independent, meaningful and dignified lives in their own homes and communities as long as possible.

(b) A comprehensive and coordinated community based system described in paragraph (a) of this section shall:

(1) Have a visible focal point of contact where anyone can go or call for help, information or referral on any aging issue;

(2) Provide a range of options:

(3) Assure that these options are readily accessible to all older persons: The independent, semi-dependent and totally dependent, no matter what their income;

(4) Include a commitment of public, private, voluntary and personal resources committed to supporting the system;

(5) Involve collaborative decision-making among public, private, voluntary, religious and fraternal organizations and older people in the community;

(6) Offer special help or targetted resources for the most vulnerable older persons, those in danger of losing their independence;

(7) Provide effective referral from agency to agency to assure that information or assistance is received, no matter how or where contact is made in the community;

(8) Evidence sufficient flexibility to respond with appropriate individualized assistance, especially for the vulnerable older person;

(9) Have a unique character which is tailored to the specific nature of the community;

(10) Be directed by leaders in the community who have the respect, capacity and authority necessary to convene all interested persons, assess needs, design solutions, track overall success, stimulate change and plan community responses for the present and for the future.

(c) The resources made available to the area agency on aging under the Older Americans Act are to be used to finance those activities necessary to achieve elements of a community based system set forth in paragraph (b) of this section. For the purpose of assuring access to information and services for older persons, the area agency shall work with elected community officials in the planning and service area to designate one or more focal points on aging in each community, as appropriate. The area agency shall list designated focal points in the area plan. It shall be the responsibility of the area agency, with the approval of the State agency, to define “community” for the purposes of this section. Since the Older Americans Act defines focal point as a “facility” established to encourage the maximum collocation and coordination of services for older individuals, special consideration shall be given to developing and/or designating multi-purpose senior centers as community focal points on aging. The area agency on aging shall assure that services financed under the Older Americans Act in, or on behalf of, the community will be either based at, linked to or coordinated with the focal points designated. The area agency on aging shall assure access from the designated focal points to services financed under the Older Americans Act. The area agency on aging shall work with, or work to assure that community leadership works with, other applicable agencies and institutions in the community to achieve maximum collocation at, coordination with or access to other services and opportunities for the elderly from the designated community focal points. The area agency may not engage in any activity which is inconsistent with its statutory mission prescribed in the Act or policies prescribed by the State under §1321.11.