California Department of Aging

What California Department of Aging does

The California Department of Aging (CDA) is a California state government department operating under the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS). Founded in 1965 as the California Commission on Aging, CDA is the designated State Unit on Aging under the federal Older Americans Act and serves as the state's primary administrator of aging services, disability services for younger adults, and caregiver support programs. The department serves approximately 10 million beneficiaries annually across all 58 California counties, including older adults aged 60+, adults with disabilities, family caregivers, and long-term care facility residents.

CDA's service portfolio includes the Older Californians Nutrition Program (congregate and home-delivered meals), the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS) with approximately 242 certified Adult Day Health Care Centers, eleven regional Caregiver Resource Centers, the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP), the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and digital inclusion initiatives (Digital Connections Program, Access to Technology). Strategic initiatives include the Master Plan for Aging (a 10-year blueprint launched in 2021), CalGrows (a direct care workforce program that ended September 2024 after training 33,000+ learners), and the LGBTQIA+ Older Adult Survey Report. Services are delivered through a network of 33 Area Agencies on Aging, 38 MSSP agencies, and certified CBAS providers.

As a government entity, CDA does not generate commercial revenue. It operates on federal Older Americans Act allocations, state appropriations under the Older Californians Act, and Medi-Cal program funding pass-throughs. The 2025-2028 Strategic Plan is organized around three pillars: empowering people and populations, enhancing performance, and building transformative partnerships. Director Susan DeMarois leads the department, headquartered at 2880 Gateway Oaks Drive, Suite 200, Sacramento, California.

Name

California Department of Aging

Legal name

California Department of Aging

Website

https://aging.ca.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The California Department of Aging is a California state agency under CalHHS that administers aging, disability, and caregiver programs for approximately 10 million beneficiaries annually across all 58 counties, delivered through 33 Area Agencies on Aging, 38 MSSP agencies, and approximately 242 certified CBAS centers, funded by federal OAA, state appropriations, and Medi-Cal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Aging Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Nursing and Residential Care Facilities (623)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community-Based Senior Centers with Adult Day Services (HLADAIAJ), Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK), Social Adult Day Care (Non-Medical Supervision & Activities) (HSABANAA)

Keywords

• Aging services administration
• Older adult nutrition programs
• Caregiver support services
• Long-term care ombudsman
• Medicare counseling programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Funding - Older Americans Act: CDA administers programs funded through the federal Older Americans Act, which provides nutrition services, supportive services, caregiver support, and other aging services programs.
2. State Funding - Older Californians Act: State-funded programs under the Older Californians Act providing additional aging services beyond federal requirements.
3. Medi-Cal Program Funding: CDA contracts with 38 agencies for the Multipurpose Senior Services Program through the Medi-Cal home and community-based waiver, and certifies approximately 242 Adult Day Health Care Centers for the Medi-Cal Community Based Adult Services (CBAS) Program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The California Department of Aging (CDA) is a California state government agency that administers federal, state, and Medi-Cal funded programs for older adults, adults with disabilities, family caregivers, and long-term care facility residents. It delivers services such as nutrition programs, caregiver support, Medicare counseling, long-term care ombudsman advocacy, and digital inclusion through a statewide network of 33 Area Agencies on Aging, 38 Multipurpose Senior Services Program agencies, and approximately 242 certified Community-Based Adult Services centers.

Product overview

The California Department of Aging operates a comprehensive suite of programs and services for older adults, adults with disabilities, family caregivers, and long-term care residents. The department administers programs funded through the federal Older Americans Act, the Older Californians Act, and the Medi-Cal program. Key programs include the Older Californians Nutrition Program (with Congregate and Home-Delivered Meals), Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS), Caregiver Resource Centers, Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP), and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Additional initiatives include Digital Inclusion programs, the CalGrows workforce initiative, Emergency Preparedness resources, and the Master Plan for Aging strategic framework. Services are delivered through a network of 33 Area Agencies on Aging, 38 MSSP agencies, and approximately 242 certified CBAS centers across California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CalGrows (California GROWs): CDA's Direct Care Workforce Training and Stipends Program that incentivized, supported, and funded career pathways for the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) workforce. The incentive program has ended but free courses remain available.
• California Master Plan for Aging
• LGBTQIA+ Older Adult Survey Report
• Older Adult Behavioral Health Resources

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 33,000 total learners participated in CalGrows training
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• UCSF (University of California San Francisco)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2024Research partner in the LGBTQIA+ Older Adult Survey - team of researchers from UCSF designed and administered the 2024 baseline survey 'From Challenges to Resilience'.
• CITRIS and Banatao Institute at UC BerkeleymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2024Research partner in the LGBTQIA+ Older Adult Survey - designed and administered the 2024 baseline survey with over 4,000 respondents.
• OpenhousemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2024Research partner in the LGBTQIA+ Older Adult Survey - contributed to survey design and administration for the statewide baseline survey.
• Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services at UC BerkeleymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2024Research partner in the LGBTQIA+ Older Adult Survey - academic partner contributing to survey design and administration.
• Long-Term Care Facility Access Policy Workgroup MembersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 February 2023Approximately 40 organizations including the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, State Department of Public Health, State Department of Social Services, and stakeholders representing public health officials, long-term care facility operators, residents, and consumer advocates participating in workgroup to develop recommendations for policies regarding access to long-term care facilities during emergencies.
• 33 Area Agencies on AgingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNetwork of 33 AAAs who directly manage a wide array of federal and state-funded services including meals, employment assistance, supportive services to help older individuals and younger adults with disabilities live independently, health promotion, community involvement, and family caregiver support.
• 38 Multipurpose Senior Services Program AgenciescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgencies operating the Multipurpose Senior Services Program through the Medi-Cal home and community-based waiver for the elderly.
• 242 Adult Day Health Care Centers (CBAS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdult Day Health Care Centers certified for participation in the Medi-Cal Community Based Adult Services (CBAS) Program.
• California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDA operates under the umbrella of CalHHS, collaborating with other state departments on transportation, housing, accessibility, emergency preparedness, wellness and nutrition, falls prevention, dementia services, and fraud/abuse reduction.
• Insure the Uninsured Project (ITUP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with CDA and West Health on the California Older Adult Behavioral Health Community Survey to assess behavioral health needs and identify service gaps.
• West HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with CDA and ITUP on behavioral health survey research to inform policies advancing equity, access, and culturally competent care.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS): Sister California state agency that administers Medi-Cal, including the 1115 waiver and HCBS programs that CDA's MSSP and CBAS rely on. Comparable as a California state-level health and human services counterpart whose policy decisions directly affect CDA's program scope.

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania Department of Aging: Pennsylvania's State Unit on Aging that contracts with 52 AAAs to deliver OAA-funded services. Closely comparable in structure (AAA network, aging services portfolio, state-government governance) to CDA.
• Florida Department of Elder Affairs: Florida's state-level aging agency administering OAA programs, Community Care for the Elderly, and Alzheimer's Disease Initiative. Comparable as a peer State Unit on Aging with large retiree population and broad service portfolio.
• Administration for Community Living (ACL): U.S. federal agency that administers the Older Americans Act and funds State Units on Aging like CDA. Direct governing/funder peer whose program design, regulations, and grant allocations define CDA's operating environment.
• USAging: National association representing the network of Area Agencies on Aging and Title VI Native American Aging Programs. Directly comparable as the umbrella organization that coordinates, advocates for, and supports the same AAA delivery model that CDA operates across California.
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission: Texas HHS administers aging services through its Aging Services Coordination office and operates Area Agencies on Aging. Comparable as another large-state entity delivering aging programs through a similar AAA + waiver model.
• Illinois Department on Aging: Illinois' designated State Unit on Aging administering OAA programs, the Community Care Program, and related caregiver and nutrition services. Directly comparable as a peer State Unit on Aging with similar program mix.
• New York State Office for the Aging: New York's designated State Unit on Aging administering OAA-funded programs including nutrition, caregiver support, and EISEP. Operates the same State Unit on Aging mandate as CDA at similar scale in another large state.

Emerging players

• National Council on Aging (NCOA): National nonprofit advancing aging services policy, benefits access (BenefitsCheckUp), and falls prevention. Comparable as a peer organization focused on the same older adult population and overlapping topics (benefits, caregiver, behavioral health), though not a state agency.

Others

• California Department of Social Services (CDSS): Sister California state department administering In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and Adult Protective Services referenced in CDA materials. Comparable as a peer California state-level agency coordinating overlapping aging and disability programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CalAging
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCaNx9_40-7MjpRK_OD-LnPQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaliforniaAging
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calaging
• Instagraminstagram.com/cal_aging

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about California Department of Aging