Links
Local and national organizations
on aging
Western Pennsylvania
Beyond our region
Western Pennsylvania
Allegheny County Senior Centers
This web page, part of PASeniorCenters.org, shares information on senior community centers throughout the region.
Area Agency on Aging
The Area Agency on Aging is an office of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.
Its purpose is to provide programs and services that enable the older adults of Allegheny County
to maintain their independence, and to have safe, healthy lifestyles with the type of care that
is needed.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Senior Links
A small group of links to Regional, State, National and International organizations dedicated
to helping seniors.
Center for Healthy Aging
The mission of the University of Pittsburgh’s “Center for Healthy Aging” is to promote healthy
lifestyles and disease prevention in the older adult population of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
through education, research and public service.
Generations Together
Generations Together works to facilitate mutually beneficial interactions between the young and old of our community.
The Lutheran Service Society of Western Pennsylvania
LSS serves persons based on a need for service, persons of all faiths, persons of no faith,
persons with the greatest needs and the fewest resources, in western Pennsylvania, northern West
Virginia, western Maryland and eastern Ohio. LSS is a private, faith-based, nonprofit, community
based provider of social services that enhance the quality of life and promote the dignity and
independence of persons in need.
MercyLink Senior Services
MercyLink’s continuum of senior care reaches out from Mercy Hospital and Mercy Providence into
various neighborhoods and communities in the greater Pittsburgh area. They strive to have their
programs reflect the values and the compassionate, holistic care of the sponsoring Sisters of Mercy.
OASIS
OASIS is a unique educational program for mature adults who want to continue to grow, learn
and be productive during the best years of their lives. Membership is free and open to anyone
50 and older. OASIS offers a broad range of educational classes and volunteer opportunities.
Classes range from the arts and humanities to wellness, fitness, computers and travel.
Presbyterian Senior Care/Woodside Place
Woodside Place, one of the very first of its type in the nation, was built in 1991 as an
innovative alternative to traditional nursing care. It provides a secure but flexible care
program and living environment for persons with Alzheimer’s.
Senior Health Services of The Western Pennsylvania Hospital
Senior Health Services of The Western Pennsylvania Hospital seeks to be the life-enhancing
resource of choice for seniors, their families, friends and healthcare providers in Western
Pennsylvania. Senior Health Services seeks to accomplish this mission through education, service,
information, health promotion and clinical coordination of health care needs. Understanding
the current fragmentation and general lack of coordination in health care today, Senior Health
Services strives to create linkages and continuity of care.
SeniorInterests
SeniorInterests is a program for persons 60 years and older provided by the City of Pittsburgh.
Recreation activities are listed on the website and there are centers to provide information about
a wide variety of available services.
Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging
The mission of Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging, Inc. is to promote the well-being
of older adults through a planned, coordinated and collaborative program of health and social
services. The Area Agency on Aging plans, develops and manages the overall service system for the
90,000 residents of Fayette, Washington and Greene Counties who are age 60 or older.
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
This is a central webpage for the three Pittsburgh area veterans’ health services facilities,
University Drive, Highland Drive Division and H.J. Heinz III Progressive Care Center.
Vintage Senior Services
Vintage is a nonprofit human service agency founded in 1973 to meet the needs of elderly
residents in Allegheny County. Vintage was established to address the isolation and loneliness
often associated with aging and to support independent living.
Beyond our region
Administration on Aging
For over thirty years, the Administration on Aging has provided home and community-based
services to millions of our nation’s vulnerable and hard-to-reach older persons through the
programs funded under the Older Americans Act. Among these services are nutrition, transportation,
legal assistance and health promotion counseling and training. Recently through AoA’s new National
Family Caregiver Support Program, the agency is focusing on the tremendous challenges of those
caring for family members who are chronically ill or who have disabilities.
Aging~PA
The Penn State Gerontology Center partner in the Geriatric Education Center of Pennsylvania
has developed AGING~PA an online network for aging related information. The purpose of this
online network is to provide a central source of online gerontology and health related links
that would be useful to health professionals, gerontologists, aging specialists and older
individuals in Pennsylvania. In order to accomplish this purpose, AGING~PA has compiled over
257 links to aging related information in the following categories: General Public Resources,
Professional Resources and Research and Education.
The Alliance for Aging Research
The private, not-for-profit Alliance for Aging Research is the nation’s leading citizen advocacy
organization for improving the health and independence of Americans as they age. The Alliance
was founded in 1986 to promote medical and behavioral research into the aging process.
The Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association, a national network of chapters, is the largest national
voluntary health organization dedicated to advancing Alzheimer’s research and helping
those affected by the disease.
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) is committed to advancing
the vision of healthy, affordable, ethical long-term care for America. The association represents
5,600 mission-driven, not-for-profit nursing homes, continuing care retirement communities, assisted
living and senior housing facilities and community service organizations.
The American Association of Retired Persons
AARP is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to addressing the needs and interests
of persons 50 and older.
American Society on Aging
American Society on Aging is a nonprofit organization committed to enhancing the knowledge
and skills of those working with older adults and their families.
American Stroke Association
The American Stroke Association is the division of the American Heart Association that’s
solely focused on reducing disability and death from stroke through research, education,
fundraising and advocacy. The American Stroke Association offers a wide array of programs,
products and services, from patient education materials to scientific statements.
The Arthritis Foundation
The Arthritis Foundation, Western Pennsylvania Chapter is dedicated to: Improving the quality
of life for people living with arthritis throughout the 19 counties of Western Pennsylvania;
Supporting research into the cause, treatmen and prevention of arthritis; Presenting educational
opportunities to learn more about arthritis and its various forms.
Elderhostel
We are a not-for-profit organization that provides exceptional learning adventures to
nearly 250,000 older adults each year. Elderhostel offers over 10,000 programs a year in more
than 100 countries. We believe learning is a lifelong pursuit that opens minds and enriches
lives. We believe sharing new ideas, challenges and experiences is rewarding in every season of
life. Our participants come from every walk of life to learn together, to exchange ideas and to
explore the world.
ElderWeb
Over its eight years of existence, ElderWeb has grown to include thousands of reviewed links
to long term care information, a searchable database of organizations and an expanding library
of articles and reports, news and events. The site is designed to be a research site for both
professionals and family members looking for information on eldercare and long term care, and
includes links to information on legal, financial, medical and housing issues, as well as policy,
research and statistics.
The Gerontological Society of America
The Gerontological Society of America is a nonprofit professional organization with more than
5000 members in the field of aging. GSA provides researchers, educators, practitioners and
policy makers with opportunities to understand, advance, integrate and use basic and applied
research on aging to improve the quality of life as one ages.
Hoaxbusters
Seniors are often the target of hoaxes by phone, mail and now via the internet. Use this
webpage to determine whether that pitch is for real or too good to be true.
The John Heinz Rehabilitation Center
Located In Wilkes-Barre, PA, the John Heinz Center is part of Northeastern Rehabilitation Associates.
Northeastern Rehabilitation Associates is a single specialty group of physicians specializing in
physical medicine and rehabilitation. They endeavor to bring the latest treatment methods and
highest quality of care to their patients in Pennsylvania. As one of the premier medical groups
on the eastcoast, Northeastern Rehabilitation Associates has made tremendous strides in returning
their patients to the highest level of function medically possible.
Medicare.gov
The Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare. In addition to providing information
about enrollment, eligibility and claims, it also provides a nursing home comparisons for all
of the United States.
National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A) is the umbrella organization for
the 655 area agencies on aging (AAAs) and more than 230 Title VI Native American aging programs
in the U.S. Through its presence in Washington, D.C., N4A advocates on behalf of the local
aging agencies to ensure that needed resources and support services are available to older
Americans. The fundamental mission of the AAAs and Title VI programs is to provide services
which make it possible for older individuals to remain in their home, thereby preserving their
independence and dignity.
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare was founded in 1982 to serve
as an advocate for the landmark federal programs of Social Security and Medicare and for all
Americans who seek a healthy, productive and secure retirement.
The National Council on the Aging
For more than fifty years, NCOA has worked to promote the dignity, self-determination and
well-being of older persons through a wide variety of services and programs. NCOA primarily
works with community organizations and professionals to help them enhance the lives of
older persons.
National Osteoporosis Foundation
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) is the leading nonprofit, voluntary health
organization dedicated to promoting lifelong bone health in order to reduce the widespread
prevalence of osteoporosis and associated fractures, while working to find a cure for the
disease through programs of research, education and advocacy.
The National Senior Citizens Law Center
The National Senior Citizens Law Center advocates nationwide to promote the independence and
well-being of low-income elderly individuals, as well as persons with disabilities, with
particular emphasis on women and racial and ethnic minorities.
Pennsylvania Association of nonprofit Homes for the Aging
PANPHA represents over 370 nonprofit providers of long-term care and housing services for
70,000 elderly residents across Pennsylvania. The Association is committed to helping its
members provide quality care efficiently and effectively for the individuals and families
they serve.
Pennsylvania Department of Aging
The mission of the Department of Aging is to enhance the quality of life of older Pennsylvanians
by empowering the community, the family and the individual.
Pennsylvania Department of Health
The Department’s mission is identified through its slogan, “…in pursuit of good health,” and
all of its activities are defined by its core functions: health needs assessment, resource development,
assuring access to health care, promoting health and disease prevention, assuring quality and
providing leadership in the area of health planning and policy development.
Pennsylvania Department of Insurance
This site is a resource for consumers and the insurance marketplace to gather information about
various types of insurance, seek data about an insurance company, or request a complaint form
that can be filed with the Department.
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
The Department of Public Welfare is charged with numerous program areas. The Department oversees
all Children, Youth & Families, Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Income Maintenance, Medical
Assistance and Social Program issues in the Commonwealth.
Senior Dental Care Program
The Senior Dental Care Program offers reduced-cost dental care to eligible Pennsylvania
senior citizens by dentists who are members of the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA).
Senior Friends
Senior Friends is a nonprofit organization providing a broad range of essential health and
human services for elderly and fragile at risk residents, promoting early detection. At
various convenient neighborhood sites, it enhances their health, welfare, safety and quality
of life and attempts to avoid institutionalization, averting premature deaths and avoiding
health care costs from complications.
SeniorNet
SeniorNet is a nonprofit organization of computer-using adults, age 50 and older.
SeniorNet’s mission is to provide older adults education for and access to computer
technologies to enhance their lives and enable them to share their knowledge and wisdom.