A local nonprofit agency in charge of disbursing critical funding for programs that support the Central Coast’s senior population will no longer serve that role after conceding its license from the California Department on Aging.
The Central Coast Commission on Senior Citizens, which has served as the Area Agency on Aging for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties since 1975, vacated its license as of Jan. 28 — just days before it was set to appear at a hearing conducted by the state Department of Aging that would decide the fate of its license.
Area Agencies on Aging are the local providers of state Department of Aging programs and funds that serve older adults, adults with disabilities and family caregivers.
The hearing, set for Feb. 2, was called after the Department of Aging identified a “pattern of noncompliance” with the commission’s funding practices, according to a notice sent to commission executive director Ron Roman.
In the notice, the Department of Aging identified “flagrant and deliberate” instances of financial mismanagement at the commission, including an outstanding balance due to the Department of Aging of $318,628.
The commission also failed to engage with the Department of Aging’s most recent audit, refusing to provide full audit documents by a Nov. 3 deadline and failing to participate in multiple scheduled audit meetings with the department, according to the notice.
The commission notified the Department of Aging on Nov. 11, 2025 “it does not have sufficient funds to continue operations after Dec. 31, 2025,” the notice read.
Because of that, the department anticipated the commission “will be unable to continue to serve the aging population with various critical services after Dec. 31, 2025, posing an immediate threat to the safety, health, and/or welfare of the individuals being served.”
Senior citizen group repeatedly failed to disclose financial information, notice claims
Among its responsibilities, the commission operates a Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program intended to provide free and unbiased guidance for seniors navigating the healthcare market, and serves as a point of contact that connects seniors over the age of 60 to free meals via Meals That Connect, according to its website.
It connects seniors with informal — or non-paid — caregivers in their families in neighborhoods through its Family Caregiver Information Program, which equips caregivers with financial assistance, hospice advice and Alzheimer’s disease training, among other services.
It also produces the Senior Resource Guide, a comprehensive list of how to access services related to health, housing, transportation, legal services and nursing care for Central Coast seniors.
But according to a notice from Department of Aging director Susan DeMarois, Roman was first notified of financial issues at the commission on July 21.
“The California Department of Aging has received numerous complaints from multiple internal and external constituents, including state legislators and county officials, who are concerned on behalf of older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers in your service area,” DeMarois wrote in the notice. “The complaint allegations are consistent with other findings that CDA staff have flagged in recent months.”
In an email, Department of Aging communications officer Sara Eisenberg said while the department oversees local Area Agencies on Aging such as the Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens, it does not manage their day-to-day operations or payments to partner organizations and the programs it funds.
“As the state entity responsible for oversight of Area Agencies on Aging, CDA is reviewing the request and assessing next steps consistent with state and federal requirements,” Eisenberg said in the email. “Services in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties are expected to continue during this process.”
Eisenberg said the process of determining a new body to serve as the local Area Agency on Aging distributor is ongoing, but would not say how long that process will take.
“CDA is actively coordinating with partners to support continuity and stability for older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, and residents of long-term care facilities,” Eisenberg said in the email. “Additional information will be shared as it becomes available.”
Eisenberg did not respond to specific inquiries about the nature of the financial mismanagement at the commission that led to the Feb. 2 hearing.
Central Coast commission issues statement on license vacation
In a news release, the Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens said it would continue providing uninterrupted services to Central Coast seniors, but said it is moving forward with withdrawing its Area Agency on Aging license.
In the release, the commission said this type of transition is “not uncommon and has occurred in other counties, including Ventura County, as part of normal administrative and regulatory evolution.”
However, the commission did not respond to The Tribune’s specific inquiries about the reasons for withdrawing its license as of Thursday afternoon.
According to the release, both the Department of Aging and commission “are working productively and collaboratively to ensure that services for older adults across the Central Coast continue without interruption” during the transition period.
“Protecting seniors and maintaining service stability remains the shared priority,” the release said.