About a year ago, I started working at the local Area Agency on Aging. Over the last several months, I've been amazed at the variety of services this Agency provides to older Americans through Federal funds and even more amazed at the very low profile these services have in our social and political discourse.
Older conservatives who dislike "big government" benefit from these services (or are eligible to benefit from them) yet are unaware they exist or where the funding comes from. The corporate media doesn't report on them. It doesn't fit the narrative to explain how the GOP who panders to Grandma and Grandpa is making deep cuts in current benefits for senior citizens.
I thought I'd take a stab at writing a series of articles about the Older Americans Act and the programs it funds. Perhaps spreading this information will facilitate people in getting help they need for themselves or loved ones. And maybe, it might prove helpful in changing some minds come election day.
The Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) promotes the well-being of older individuals by providing services and programs designed to help them live independently in their homes and communities. The act also empowers the federal government to distribute funds to the states for supportive services for individuals over the age of 60.
The OAA was written and passed to respond to policy concerns about the lack of community and social services for older persons. The original legislation established authority for grants to States for community planning and social services, research and development projects and personnel training in the field of aging. The law also established the Administration on Aging (AoA) to administer the grant programs and to serve as the Federal focal point on matters concerning older persons.
Older individuals may receive services from other Federal programs, but the OAA is considered as the prime vehicle for social and nutritional services to adults over 60 and their caregivers. The OAA also includes community service employment for low-income older Americans (overseen by the Department of Labor), training, research and demonstration activities in the field of aging and elder rights protection.
The most recent re-authorization of the OAA was in 2006. It was scheduled to be considered for re-authorization and amendments in 2011 for fiscal year 2012, but was a victim of GOP stonewalling and gridlock. In 2013 Republicans opposed provisions that would have enhanced the aging networks ability to modernize systems and supports that were designed to help older adults experiencing economic distress. Republicans excluded language that (i) defined economic security and established it as an explicit priority in the Act's objectives, (ii) provided for federal coordination of elder economic security programs and identification of best practices, and (iii) language that focused on economic security strategies in the development of state and area plans.
In January 2015 a re-authorization bill (S. 192) was introduced in the Senate that is similar to the 2013 bill in that it also contains language that clarifies the Administration on Aging's duties include supporting research and implementation of programs that address the economic needs of older adults as well as creating and disseminating materials related to the economic welfare of seniors - but the bill does not make "economic security" a goal. The bill is was introduced Jan 20 and was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar on Feb 3. Apparently the Senate is busy with other things for the last month, such as S.147 (Keystone XL), S. 339 (repeal ACA), S. 165 (make it harder to transfer or release prisoners from Guantanamo), and S. 534 (prohibit funds from being used to carry out Executive actions on immigration).
The OAA funds programs to provide services such as:
*transportation
*adult day care
*caregiver supports
*health promotion
*congregate and home delivered meals
*nutrition education
*behavioral health information
*chronic disease self management education
*diabetes self management
*disease prevention and health promotion
*fall prevention programs
*HIV/AIDS education
*oral health
*elder abuse prevention
*legal assistance
*pension counseling
*Adult Protective Services systems
*long term care ombudsman programs
*job training and placement assistance
Job training and placement is managed by the Department of Labor. Everything else is managed by the Administration on Aging, which is an agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services. When Republicans like Paul Ryan and Ted Cruz talk about eliminating the DoL and HHS, they are talking about eliminating programs for adults over 60. The very demographic they pander to.
The Administration on Aging is an agency within the US Department of Health & Human Services. When Republicans like Paul Ryan or Ted Cruz talk about defunding the Department of Health & Human Services, they are talking about defunding programs for older Americans. The very voting block they court.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act had funds for specific OAA programs, such as meals and job training - as seniors were hard hit loosing investments, pensions, homes and jobs during the Great Recession. After the 2010 midterms when the GOP took the House, big cuts were made in these programs. Cuts that drove service delivery down lower than pre-Recession levels. The government shutdown hurt service delivery. And of course the Sequester also made indiscriminate cuts on OAA programs.
The funding stream for these programs tends to be invisible unless you know where to look - so most seniors accessing services do not realize where the money comes from. In most cases, federal grants are apportioned to the states, which then allocate the funds to "Planning and Service Areas" (PSAs) so that programs can be tailored to meet local needs. PSAs work with local seniors to determine the needs of the community and work to address those needs by funding local services and through advocacy.
For example in my PSA, nutrition funds pass through the state, to the Area Agency on Aging, which awards grant funds to local charities or municipalities that operate congregate meal sites and home delivered meal programs. Another example is a program that provides assistance for grandparents raising grandchildren. The funds flow from the OAA to the State, to the AAA, to a local non-profit, which then subcontracts to another non-profit that specializes in counseling and case management services for foster families. People accessing the services at the individual level are usually unaware where the money comes from and who oversees the program.
In future posts I will try to explain a little more about each "family" of services and cover a bit of the governance of AAAs and Public Service Areas. If there are any questions that come up in comments I will do my best to address those as well.
In the meantime, if you are interested in locating a State or local AAA, the Administration on Aging website has a finder tool that will help you search by state and then county to find local resources.
http://www.aoa.gov/...
The general starting point within the AAA itself is usually the Information & Assistance line, a phone number you can call to talk to a person who can help determine what resources are available to you.