The Department of Elder Affairs

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs began with a voter referendum in 1988 calling for the creation of an agency to address these issues. In 1992, the state legislature established the Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) and designated it as Florida's State Unit on Aging. Many of the programs once the responsibility of the Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services (HRS), now Department of Children & Families, are handled by the Department of Elder Affairs. The creation of the Department of Elder Affairs demonstrates Florida's commitment to serving all elders in as comprehensive a manner as possible.

DOEA is responsible for planning, policy-making, coordinating, and advocating programs and services designed to meet the needs of the state's elder population. In addition, DOEA allocates funds to the eleven Area Agencies on Aging in Florida (www.f4a.org). The Secretary of the Department of Elder Affairs is E. Douglas Beach, Ph.D.

The Department can be reached at :

Department of Elder Affairs
4040 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, FL 32399-7000
Phone: (850) 414-2000
Website: http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/index.php