Administration for Community Living (ACL)
Death notification, 5 survivor benefits, and required documents
OverviewWhen someone dies
Administration for Community Living
Phone202-401-4634
Mailing Address
330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201
WebsiteVisit website→
Eldercare Locator
Phone1-800-677-1116
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursMonday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern (call, text, or chat)
Verified Jul 2026
The Administration for Community Living is an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that funds the national network of services for older adults and people with disabilities. ACL does not receive death notifications, but it is the gateway to local support for surviving family members: the Eldercare Locator connects callers to Area Agencies on Aging, SHIP counselors who help reconcile a deceased Medicare beneficiary's final bills, Long-Term Care Ombudsmen who handle nursing home complaints, Senior Medicare Patrols that investigate post-mortem Medicare fraud, and legal aid for the elderly. Programs are authorized primarily by the Older Americans Act of 1965 (most recently reauthorized in 2020).
Death notification
ACL is not a notification agency. Families do not report a death to ACL. Instead, surviving spouses, executors, and other family members call the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116), a public service of ACL, to be referred to the local Area Agency on Aging or program best suited to their needs. Typical post-death uses include finding a SHIP counselor to help close out a Medicare account or contest a final bill, locating a Long-Term Care Ombudsman if the death occurred in a nursing home or assisted living facility, reporting suspected post-mortem Medicare fraud to a Senior Medicare Patrol, or finding free legal services for the surviving spouse.
Deadline: ACL does not require notification of death. Call the Eldercare Locator when family members need local support services - there is no enforced deadline.
Survivor benefits
The ACL offers 5 benefits for surviving family members.
Eldercare Locator Referral Service
The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the Administration for Community Living that connects older adults and their families to local services. Surviving spouses and family members can call to be referred to community-based programs - including meals, transportation, caregiver support, home and community-based services, and the other ACL-funded programs listed below.
State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
SHIP provides free, one-on-one Medicare counseling to beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. After a death, SHIP counselors can help survivors understand and reconcile the deceased's final Medicare claims, Medicare Advantage or Part D coverage, and any cost-assistance programs that were in place. SHIP operates through 54 grantees with a network of more than 2,200 local sites and over 12,500 team members.
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Long-Term Care Ombudsmen identify, investigate, and resolve complaints from residents and their families about nursing homes, assisted living facilities, board and care, and other residential care communities. When a death occurs in a long-term care facility and the family has concerns about the care provided, the Ombudsman can investigate. The program worked on 202,894 complaints in fiscal year 2023, resolving or partially resolving 71 percent to resident satisfaction.
Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)
The Senior Medicare Patrol empowers Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report suspected health care fraud, errors, and abuse - including fraudulent claims billed to Medicare in the name of someone who has died. SMP volunteers and staff provide one-on-one counseling and refer suspected fraud to federal and state authorities. The network operates in all 50 states, Washington D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with approximately 5,532 team members at more than 500 local sites.
Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) Network
An Area Agency on Aging is a public or private nonprofit agency designated by a state to coordinate services for older adults at the regional and local level. AAAs coordinate Older Americans Act services such as home-delivered meals, homemaker assistance, caregiver support, and information and referral - resources that surviving spouses and family caregivers frequently need after a death.
When someone dies
Notifying the ACL after a death
5-step process, 4 required documents, and 5 survivor benefits.
View details →Frequently asked questions
The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the Administration for Community Living that connects older adults and their families to community-based services. Call or text 1-800-677-1116 (specialists available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern), chat at eldercare.acl.gov, or email eldercarelocator@usaging.org. The Locator refers callers to the appropriate Area Agency on Aging and other ACL-funded programs.
Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or use the search tool at eldercare.acl.gov. An Area Agency on Aging is a public or private nonprofit agency designated by your state to coordinate services - meals, transportation, caregiver support, information and referral - for older adults at the regional and local level.
Contact your state Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Ombudsmen identify, investigate, and resolve complaints from residents and their families about nursing homes, assisted living facilities, board and care, and other residential care communities. They are independent of the facility and the state survey agency. Find your state Ombudsman through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.
Yes - indirectly. ACL funds legal services for older adults through state grantees under the Older Americans Act. The Eldercare Locator can refer surviving spouses to ACL-supported legal aid programs in their state for help with estate, benefits, consumer-protection, and similar civil-legal issues. Call 1-800-677-1116 for a referral.
Administration for Community Living
Phone202-401-4634
Mailing Address
330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201
WebsiteVisit website→
Eldercare Locator
Phone1-800-677-1116
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursMonday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern (call, text, or chat)
Verified Jul 2026