<span new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">For Immediate Release: July 14,
2011
<span new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""=""""><span new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""=""""><span new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""=""""><span new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">
<span new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">WASHINGTON,
DC<span new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">
– Today, July 14, marks the 46th anniversary of the Older Americans
Act – the historic bill was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July
14, 1965 and has since supported vital services for elderly individuals in
Seattle and throughout of the country.
“Over the last 46 years, the initiatives created under the Older Americans
Act and its amendments have enhanced the lives of millions of seniors – from
Senior Centers to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and other programs,”
said Congressman Jim McDermott. “In Seattle alone, the Meals on Wheels
program might not exist without the Older Americans Act.”
The Older Americans Act created the Administration on Aging to help serve the
needs of seniors across the country. The Administration on Aging has served as
a national center for key aging initiatives and authorized funding for 56 state
agencies and more than 600-area agencies on aging (see below for a summary of
other key programs created as a result of the Older Americans Act).
“Many of the programs under the Older Americans Act are designed to help
seniors stay in their own homes and continue to live independently in dignity–
a top goal for most of America’s seniors,” said Congressman McDermott. “Despite
the great benefits that have stemmed from the Older Americans Act and the
creation of the Administration on Aging, Republicans have put the many programs
that it supports on the chopping block as they’ve pursued their ‘cut, cut, cut’
agenda.”
This past February, the Republican-controlled House passed a budget that would
have cut Administration on Aging programs by $71 million or 5 percent below the
2010 funding level. Fortunately, in the final budget bill for 2011 – the
measure that prevented the government shutdown – Congressional Democrats were
successful in reducing that cut to 1 percent.
McDermott added, “In the months and years to come, I will continue to oppose
Republican efforts to slash or undermine the critical programs that the law
supports.”
The following are some of the critical programs established as a result of
the Older Americans Act:
· ●<span style"="style"" "=""" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">Supportive Services and Senior Centers:<span style"="style"" "=""" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""=""""> This program provides formula grants to states to fund multipurpose senior centers, adult day care, transportation and in-home assistance.
o <span style"="style"" "=""" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">Transportation Services:<span style"="style"" "=""" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""=""""> In 2009, funded over 27 million rides to doctors’ offices, grocery stores, pharmacies, senior centers, and meal sites.
o <span style"="style"" "=""" 12pt;="12pt;" font-family:="font-family:" "times=""times" times"="times"" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">Personal Care, Homemaker, and Chore Services:<span style"="style"" "=""" 12pt;="12pt;" font-family:="font-family:" "times=""times" times"="times"" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""=""""> In 2009, funded more than 28 million hours of assistance to seniors unable to perform daily activities.
o <span style"="style"" "=""" 12pt;="12pt;" font-family:="font-family:" "times=""times" times"="times"" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">Adult Day Care/Day Health Services:<span style"="style"" "=""" 12pt;="12pt;" font-family:="font-family:" "times=""times" times"="times"" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""=""""> In 2009, funded
nearly 8 million hours of care for dependent adults in a supervised setting
during the day.
●<span new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">Nutrition Services:<span new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""=""""> The nutrition services program provides meals and related services to older individuals in settings such as senior centers and delivers meals to seniors who are homebound.
o <span style"="style"" "=""" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">Home-Delivered Nutrition Services (Meals on Wheels):<span style"="style"" "=""" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""=""""> In 2009, provided almost 150 million meals to nearly one million seniors.
o <span new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">Congregate Nutrition Services:<span new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""=""""> In 2009, provided over 90 million meals at senior centers and other congregate facilities to nearly two million seniors.
<span style"="style"" "=""" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">
●Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: This
program funds Long-Term Care Ombudsmen, who advocate for residents of nursing
homes and other adult care facilities and work to resolve problems of
individual residents and to improve residents’ care and quality of life.
In 2009, ombudsmen visited four out of five nursing homes and over half
of all board and care, assisted living, and similar homes at least quarterly;
and worked to resolve hundreds of thousands of resident complaints.
●Senior Community Service Employment Program: This program provides subsidized worker training for low-income individuals 55 or older who are unemployed, to prepare them for employment.
<span style"="style"" "=""" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">###
<span style"="style"" "=""" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">
Follow McDermott on Twitter: @RepJimMcDermott.
<span style"="style"" "=""" new="New" roman","="roman","" ,""=",""" ""="""">
