Options For Aging Inc

Pros

• They are a valuable source of information and connect the elderly with the help they need.
• PCOA provides a wide range of services for older adults.
• They are a wonderful resource, always busy, pleasant, and helpful.
• The staff is very down to earth and helpful.
• We were pleasantly surprised with all of the resources available to help seniors.
• Pima Council on Aging has been a lifesaver literally.
• Meals on Wheels is a great program that helps aging individuals with their needs.
• They are a resource all caregivers and families in Pima County need.
• They are very professional, helpful, and highly recommended.
• The Young Lady That Has Been Assisting Me Has Been A God Send.
• This is a beautiful safe building with lots of parking close to the door.
• They were very helpful for advice on retirement and Medicare.

Cons

• The facility was described as terrible and management as toxic.
• Staff did not attempt to find any kind of assistance for the parents.
• They advertised open until 5:00 but were locked at 4:30, a false advertisement.
• The service was not particularly helpful recently.
• It's a shame they're losing funding for vital aging services.
• The receptionist was unprofessional and negative.
• They told the senior they would be put on a waitlist of over a year, which was not helpful.
• Calls and messages were not returned and the phone system hindered contact.
• A staff member was condescending and rude toward a caller advocating for a senior.
• The reviewer found the resource disappointing and not helpful.

Review

The set of reviews paints a landscape of a well-intentioned aging-services hub that can feel like a lifeline to many families, while also revealing serious frustrations for others. On one hand, Pima Council on Aging (PCOA) is repeatedly described as a robust clearinghouse of information and a broad resource for older adults. Reviewers highlight a wide spectrum of programs: a helpline and resource directory to connect people with reliable information, in-home support and repairs, caregiver training, Meals on Wheels and community lunch programs, dementia-related services, fitness and fall-prevention classes, and education on Medicare, ALTCS, and end-of-life planning. Several accounts emphasize that PCOA is a connection point to "resources, education, and advocacy" for elder abuse and exploitation, and that it can be a critical ally for families trying to navigate complex care needs. In many of these notes, the organization is framed as a valuable, sometimes indispensable, local resource.

Within the positive experiences, there are tangible anecdotes of helpful interactions. Multiple reviewers praise specific staff members for their warmth, competence, and reliability. Comments like "They are a valuable source of information and connecting the elderly with help that they need. I use them & I don't know how I would manage things without their help! Bless them, always busy & always pleasant & helpful" recur in the feedback. Individual staff members are singled out positively: Diane being described as helpful and nice, Irene as especially appreciated, and Veronica as guiding a caller through multiple steps and even scheduling a follow-up appointment. One account even lauds a single "Young Lady" as a virtual beacon of service, calling her an "absolute pleasure to deal with" and suggesting she could be used as an orientation example for future employees. There are also mentions of success stories - help with legal referrals, caregiver support, and timely information that opens doors to needed services - like getting advice, referrals, and sometimes direct assistance through case-by-case outreach.

Several entries illustrate the depth of services in practice. For some families, PCOA has been a source of direct assistance with practical matters (home repairs, direct care workers, and Meals on Wheels) and a facilitator for educational programs (Medicare seminars, life-care planning classes, and caregiver education). Reviewers describe attending community activities like "Cafe at the Katie," bingo, or other classes, and note that the center can be a welcoming space with usable resources for planning and daily living. The sense of having a partner in aging well is reinforced by mentions of advocacy for people in long-term care and for those needing end-of-life planning, as well as the presence of supportive programs for people living with dementia and their families.

But the overall sentiment is not uniformly positive. A significant portion of the feedback centers on frustration with the organization's responsiveness, management, and administrative friction. Some reviewers describe the facility as poorly managed or even "toxic" at the top, with some reports suggesting that upper management makes the environment feel hostile or unsupportive. This darker thread is compounded by notes about inconsistent experiences depending on who you encounter, suggesting variability in customer service and outcomes across staff and departments. In one account, a caller encountered a receptionist who came across as unprofessional and negative, and another describes waiting on hold or being unable to reach anyone after repeated calls. A few reviewers report long wait times for services or conversations - waitlists extending well over a year in at least one case - and the sense that the organization can be slow to respond or unable to follow up consistently.

Access and communication gaps surface repeatedly. There are criticisms about hours and advertised services that don't match real-life practices: "They advertise open till 5:00 Mon. Thru Friday. False advertisement they were locked at 4:30." The mismatch between marketing and actual hours, plus changes to the voicemail system that make it hard to reach staff, contribute to a sense of procedural friction. Several people report that calls go unreturned, messages go unanswered, and sometimes even within the same family there are conflicting experiences or unclear guidance about next steps. A recurring theme is that those who are most in need - elderly individuals and their families - may also be the least able to navigate a complicated system, especially when they are told to wait long periods or to "call this number" without clear, immediate help.

Funding and systemic pressures appear as a backdrop to the day-to-day experiences. Several comments acknowledge funding cuts and express concern about the impact on services as the aging population in the area continues to grow. These notes frame PCOA as a vital community resource whose future is closely tied to public funding and policy decisions. The sense from these reviews is that, even as volunteers and staff work hard to deliver a wide array of programs, the organization's capacity to maintain and expand services is constrained by external financial pressures. The hope embedded in these reflections is that continued support for aging services will ensure that the positive, life-enhancing aspects of PCOA can endure despite budgetary challenges.

In sum, the picture of PCOA is nuanced. For many seniors and families in Pima County, the council on aging represents a crucial gateway to information, services, and personal support at a time of vulnerability. The breadth of offerings - from practical aid like home support and Meals on Wheels to educational programs and advocacy - has proven meaningful and, in some cases, transformative. Yet there are meaningful caveats: inconsistent follow-up, variable customer service experiences, lengthy waitlists, and procedural inefficiencies that leave some clients feeling left in the lurch. The best way to understand what PCOA can offer seems to be to engage with it directly - tapping into its extensive program catalog while staying aware that the experience may hinge on which staff you encounter and how promptly you can navigate its current administrative hurdles.

Restaurants

• Taco Bell (0.6 miles)
• McDonald's (1 miles)
• Kazoku (1 miles)
• Roadhouse Cinemas - Tu (1 miles)
• Tucson Hop Shop (1.2 miles)
• Red Garter Saloon (1.4 miles)
• Culinary Dropout (1.5 miles)

Cafes

• Dutch Bros Coffee (0.8 miles)
• Black Crown Coffee Co. (1 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (1 miles)
• Coffee Times Drive-Thru (1.2 miles)
• LeBuzz Caffe (1.2 miles)
• Starbucks (1.2 miles)
• Starbucks (1.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1 miles)
• Harvest Hoc (1.4 miles)
• Walgreens (1.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• Green HealthMart Pharmacy (2 miles)

Physicians

• Premier Hearing (1.1 miles)
• Dehnert Dental (1.1 miles)
• UA Healthcare Clinics (1.3 miles)
• Daniel A Graybill (1.4 miles)
• Arizona Center For Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (1.5 miles)
• MHC Healthcare Primary Care Health Center (1.5 miles)
• Retina Centers PC (1.5 miles)

Theaters

• The Loft Cinema (1.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• Desert Valley Adventist Church (1.5 miles)
• Benedictine Sanctuary (1.6 miles)
• Our Saviour's Lutheran Church (2.3 miles)
• Rincon Congregational Church (2.7 miles)
• Grace To The Nations (2.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Tmc Labor and Delivery (1.8 miles)
• The University of Arizona Medical Center - Medicine Clinic Physician Offices (2.3 miles)
• UMC Emergency Room (2.3 miles)
• UMC Radiologic (2.3 miles)
• Tucson Natural (2.3 miles)
• Providence Service (2.3 miles)
• Danville Services (2.7 miles)

Parks

• Reid Park (2.8 miles)