Assistant Commissioner

Louise Rush has led the Division of Aging Services (DoAS) since April 2018. Throughout her career of over 40 years with the State of New Jersey, her passion has been ensuring that older adults and individuals with disabilities have access to the services and programs they need to remain in their own communities with loved ones and friends, and to avoid placement in a nursing facility for as long as possible.

Ms. Rush manages a division staff of approximately 300 people and a budget of about $330 million to administer a variety of state and federal programs, services, and supports designed to maximize the independence of New Jersey’s 1.8 million seniors. These include the Jersey Assistance for Community Caregiving (JACC) Program, Statewide Respite Care Program, Alzheimer’s Adult Day Services Program, Congregate Housing Services Program, Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, and the various home, community and nutrition support programs, including Adult Protective Services, funded by the Older Americans Act. Furthermore, she manages the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) Program, the Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program, the Lifeline Utility Assistance Program, and three Medicare Savings Programs.

As Assistant Commissioner for the administrative unit of New Jersey’s federally-designated State Unit on Aging (SUA), Ms. Rush oversees the 21 county-based Area Agencies on Aging, also known as Aging and Disability Resource Connections (ADRCs).  She is also New Jersey's representative for ADvancingStates, a national organization that represents the country's 56 state and territorial SUAs and disabilities and long-term services and supports directors.