Chatham County Aging Services

The mission of Chatham County Aging Services is to empower adults as they age by offering a wide variety of home and community services, providing them with opportunities to remain active and independent. Chatham County Aging Services also supports family caregivers of older adults striving to remain at home. Special emphasis is given to reaching the socially economically needy, and in particular, those who are not eligible for Medicaid but cannot afford to pay for services themselves.

Founded on July 8, 1974, as the Chatham County Council on Aging by African American community leaders Mattie Paige, Lacy D. Marsh and Charlie Baldwin, the original mission was to “promote the independence and dignity of our older adults and to help them remain healthy, secure and involved in their own homes and community as long as possible.” Today, Chatham County Aging Services operates two senior centers, both certified by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as “Centers of Excellence.”

On July 1, 2023, the Chatham County Council on Aging officially transitioned into its new role as Chatham County Aging Services, becoming a government department within Chatham County. The department carries out its mission through the efforts of 23 full- and part-time staff, including a robust volunteer base. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, a total of 253 volunteers contributed over 14,500 hours of service to the older adults of Chatham County. This ranged from involvement as a driver in the Aging Services Meals on Wheels program, Minor Home Repair volunteer, a counselor in the Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP), Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) preparer and more. Aging Services offers programs and services in other areas such as its Assistive Loan Equipment Program, Chatham County Senior Games & SilverArts, Congregate Meals, Evidence-Based Health Promotion Classes, Exercise Classes, Family Caregiver Support, Friendly Telephone Calls, Incontinence Supplies, In-Home Aide Services and Options Counseling. Aging Services also offers heat relief fan distribution and a seasonal hiking club.