Emerald Coast Council on Aging

The Emerald Coast Council on Aging is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for older adults in Walton County by empowering them to live independently, with dignity, in their own homes. Through compassionate in-home services, case management and meals. We strive to promote well-being, reduce isolation, and ensure wellness. Our commitment is to foster a community where aging in place is not only possible but fulfilling, safe, and supported.

Serving Northwest Florida since 1967

Our Programs

Older Americans Act Programs (OAA) - Federally Funded

3B In-Home Support Services. This program offers non-medical in-home support for clients, including companionship, homemaker or shopping, and regular monthly or bi-monthly assurance calls to promote safety and well-being. Our care coordination team also assists clients in identifying andaccessing available community resources.

C1 - Congregate meals, monthly/bi-monthly Assurance calls, nutrition education, and resource information. {This program includes the USDA funding allocation}

C2 - Home-delivered meals/frozen meals, screening and assessment home visits, and monthly/bi-monthly Assurance calls.

3E, 3ES, 3EG - Caregiver/grandparent program. This program provides non-medical support to caregivers and grandparents caring for a loved one. Services may include temporary respite relief for the caregiver, limited assistance with the purchase of essential supplies for the client, and regular monthly check-in calls to promote safety, connection, and peace of mind.

General Revenue Programs (GR) – State of Florida Funded

Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative (ADI)
ADI offers support to individuals living with Alzheimer’s or related memory conditions and their caregivers. Services may include non-medical care coordination, respite breaks for caregivers, companionship, homemaker services and assistance with household tasks like shopping, home-delivered meals, and regular social check-ins.

Community Care for the Elderly (CCE)
CCE helps older adults who are frail or functionally impaired continue living independently at home and avoid premature institutional care. Services include coordination of non-medical support such as companionship, homemaker services, respite for caregivers, shopping assistance, and nutritious home-delivered meals, and routine well-being calls.

Home Care for the Eldery (HCE) HCE provides a monthly stipend to help primary caregivers of low-income elders maintain care in a home setting. The program also allows for reimbursement of certain approved supplies and basic care-related expenses, supporting non-medical needs in a family caregiving environment, to include Homemaker and Respite services.

Our Services

Pursuant to Florida Statutes, Section 400.462 we are a AHCA licensed
Homemaker and Companion Services Provider. License #237957.

Companionship Services
Companionship is visiting a client who is socially and/or geographically isolated, to relieve loneliness and provide continuing social contact with the community. This service includes activities such as engaging the client in casual conversation, helping with reading, writing letters, escorting a client to a medical appointment and diversional activities such as playing games, going to the movies, the mall, the library, or grocery shopping.

Homemaker Services
Homemaker service is defined as the accomplishment of specific home management duties by a trained homemaker. Duties may include, but are not limited to, housekeeping; laundry; cleaning refrigerators; clothing repair; minor home repairs; assistance with budgeting and paying bills; client transportation; meal planning and preparation; shopping assistance; and routine house-hold activities.

Disclaimer: Emerald Coast Council on Aging (ECCOA) is a non-medical support organization. We do not provide medical care, nursing services, or clinical evaluations. All services offered—such as transportation assistance, meal delivery, care coordination, and social visits—are strictly non-medical in nature. ECCOA staff are not licensed medical professionals, and any health-related needs should be referred to a licensed healthcare provider.

Upcoming Events

Remember, when you give to the ECCOA – another senior receives the help they deserve!

Testimonials

  • "ECCOA has truly changed my life. Thanks to their incredible team, I’m proud of my home again. The support, from assurance calls to HDMF deliveries, has made daily life so much easier. I feel heard, cared for, and connected in a way I never did before. Honestly, I don’t know how I managed before ECCOA!"

    - K.W., Veteran

  • "ECCOA is the only one I can count on—the only ones who truly care. I used to think I didn’t need help, but I see now how much of a difference they make. I don’t always know how to show it, but I’m deeply grateful. Without ECCOA, I don’t know where I’d be."

    - R.W., ECCOA Client

  • "Thanks to ECCOA’s support and resources, I was able to stay by my mom’s side in her final years. I couldn’t have done it without them, and I’m forever grateful."

    - J.H, Client’s Daughter

  • "For the first time in a long time, I feel truly cared for. ECCOA has given me a sense of belonging I thought I had lost. I am not forgotten—thank you."

    - M.K, ECCOA Client

Meet the Leadership Team

  • Alicia Brackins

    DIRECTOR

  • Kyle Tebbs

    BUSINESS MANAGER

  • Wanda Grenagle

    CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FACILITATOR

  • Lisa Betts

    IHCS PROGRAM FACILITATOR

Center Managers

  • Adrianne Weekley

    DEFUNIAK SPRINGS

  • Marlena Rittenour

    FREEPORT

  • Jim Clifton

    PAXTON

  • Shari Roberts

    Shari Roberts

    SOUTH WALTON

Case Managers

  • Laura Heins

    CASE MANAGER

  • Beverly Clifton

    CASE MANAGER

Our agency has seen it all—like the fastest woman in Florida (seriously, don’t challenge her to a race), a close confidant of the King himself (yes, that King), and fashion models who make everyday life look like a runway. We’ve had a general who told us how to do things, several veterans who’ve served with honor, teachers who can handle anything, police officers who keep things in check, and mayors who’ve run us like a council meeting.

We’ve had a female Olympic decathlete whose dreams were dashed by WWII, and we’ve met a survivor of the USS Indianapolis, who lived to tell the story after the ship was torpedoed following its mission to deliver one of the atomic bombs used on Japan. There’s been a circus aerialist who traveled across Europe with her husband, dazzling crowds high above the ring, and a female sharpshooter with a wall full of medals and trophies who could outshoot just about anyone.

And let’s not forget two of our favorite local legends—musicians who didn’t just play the tunes but built the stage! As founders of the Panhandle Opry, they didn’t just bring country music to town—they brought the house down, week after week, with talent, charm, and a whole lot of twang.

And of course, a whole lot of moms and dads who collectively prove every single day that serving our seniors is never a dull moment—and always a pleasure