As a new Commissioner on the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, I heard many references to the importance of the OAA for seniors. I learned that they were talking about the original Older Americans Act enacted in 1965 passed as part of President Johnson’s “Great Society” initiative. There had been concern about the lack of support services for Americans over 60 years old. That concern is even greater now.
OAA provided home-delivered and congregate meals (Meals on Wheels), family caregiver support, in-home health services, job training, elder abuse protection, advocacy for vulnerable residents in care facilities and protection from age-based discrimination. It also created the Administration on Aging to carry out the objectives of OAA. The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program was set up to provide advocates for seniors in long term care facilities like nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Programs for individual states are funded through direct grants and the states are required to create Agencies on Aging to plan, develop and coordinate community services for seniors. More than six hundred Area Agencies are charged with connecting older adults to the important services provided through OAA.
Eligibility criteria for OAA programs is established by the individual states. Generally people over 60 cannot be denied services under OAA unless specified by the state. No one can be denied services by the states because of income level. A person earning too much for low income programs should still be able to receive services under OAA state programs. The program does focus on assistance to people with the greatest social or economic need.
Congress periodically reviews and updates OAA to keep up with changes and needs of older adults. The most recent Reauthorization Act of 2016 was signed by President Obama. In 2016 1.3 million people were served by OAA programs: 145 million home delivered meals paid for by OAA, 24 million rides provided, 40 million hours of funded personal care aides, 10.6 million hours of adult day care subsidized.
Now supporters including AARP are concerned that more funding will be required to maintain OAA programs for our rapidly increasing senior population. The highest funding level was in 2010 and it would now require a 30 percent increase to get back to that level. The current OAA authority will run out on September 30 but Congress can continue to pay for the programs. Without reauthorization and increased funding, the local agencies will have long waiting lists to apply for much needed programs.
The Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging Susan Collins said, “The changing demographics of our country are such that we have to devote more resources, become more innovative and pay more attention to issues that affect older Americans.” OAA generally has wide bipartisan support but it will take a 30 percent increase to return OAA to its 2010 funding levels. Everyday 10,000 Americans turn 65 and the waiting lists for programs through local Area Agencies on Aging continue to grow. I hope Senator Collins’ words will provide the impetus needed to ensure appropriate funding for the programs so critical to the lives of many older Americans.
I knew nothing about this, but I want to support it and to be kept up-to-date in the future.
I am such a believer that if voters do not let their representatives know how we feel, we cannot hope to get anything near what we want and need. Thank you.
I, for one, don’t trust Sen Collins for a second. What can we do to help ensure the funding continues?
I agree. But we need to keep the pressure on her and our own elected reps for sure!
Ed, thanks and I also agree. I do not know who your local elected Representative is. It is so important that we let our elected Congress person and Senators know how we feel about issues. Congresswoman Julia Brownley is our Representative in Thousand Oaks.