scholarly journals The Older Americans Act, the Aging Network, and the Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 300-301
Author(s):  
Brian Lindberg
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Older Americans Act ◽  
Aging Services ◽  
The Future ◽  
Aging Network

Abstract This session provides insights into how the pandemic challenged the capabilities and ingenuity of the Older Americans Act (OAA) programs and the aging network and what it means for in-home and community aging services now and in the future. Speakers will include key aging network stakeholders, who will discuss the overnight evolution of programs serving often isolated older adults.

scholarly journals Transforming Aging Services: Area Agencies on Aging and the COVID-19 Response

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haley B Gallo ◽  
Kathleen H Wilber
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Coupled Systems ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Loosely Coupled ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
The People ◽  
Older Americans Act ◽  
Aging Services ◽  
Available Information ◽  
Aging Network

Abstract For over four decades, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) have served as focal points to help older adults remain in their homes and communities. AAAs partner with other organizations to administer services authorized under the Older Americans Act (OAA). AAAs represent loosely coupled systems; they are responsive to guidelines established by the OAA while maintaining flexibility to leverage limited resources, establish partnerships, and create innovative programs to meet community needs. As stay-at-home orders and concern for safety have kept many older adults homebound during the COVID-19 pandemic, an important question is how the Aging Network, including the over 600 AAAs, has responded to these rapidly changing needs. Although time and more systematic assessments are required, available information suggests that the loosely coupled network of AAAs has been a key, adaptable resource. This article begins with a description of the Aging Network and its history before turning to how the community-specific, collaborative, and evolving nature of AAAs places them at a unique position to respond to the challenges that arise with COVID-19. It concludes with how AAAs can continue to adapt to meet the needs of older adults and the people who care for them.

scholarly journals Older Americans Act Meals Programs: Responding to the Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 301-301
Author(s):  
Katie Jantzi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Older Americans Act ◽  
Aging Network

Abstract This session provides insights into how the pandemic challenged the capabilities and ingenuity of the Older Americans Act (OAA) programs and the aging network. Speakers will include key aging network stakeholders, who will discuss the overnight evolution of programs serving often isolated older adults.

scholarly journals The Aging Network and the Older Americans Act Reauthorization

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 725-725
Author(s):  
Amy Gotwals
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Legislative Process ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Older Americans Act ◽  
Aging Network

Abstract This presentation will cover a range of OAA reauthorization proposals - successes and what was not possible this year. As a leader in the aging network, n4a played a major role in the legislative process, and the discussion will include top priorities for improving the ability of the network to serve older adults with community-based supports and services.

scholarly journals New Pieces for the Older Americans Act Puzzle

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 726-726
Author(s):  
Andrew MacPherson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Supportive Services ◽  
Advanced Illness ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Serious Illness ◽  
Older Americans Act ◽  
Aging Network

Abstract With the passage of the new “Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020,” Congress acknowledged and address several under appreciated issues -the growing social isolation and loneliness of older adults, and the significant role that the aging network does and can play in providing supportive services to older adults with advanced illness (also known as serious illness). This presentation will provide information on these and other pieces of the OAA puzzle.

scholarly journals As We Age: Listening to the Voices of LGBTQ Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 310-310
Author(s):  
Cory Cummings ◽  
Jennifer Dunkle ◽  
Bianca Mayes ◽  
Carolyn Bradley ◽  
Porsha Hall
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Needs Assessments ◽  
Older Americans Act ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
State Study ◽  
Aging Network

Abstract LGBTQ older adults present a range of biopsychosocial needs and life experiences that may differ from the general population of older adults. Researchers have broken LGBTQ older adults into three age brackets: the Invisible Generation born before the 1920s; the Silent Generation born in the 1930s and 1940s; and the Pride Generation born in the 1950s and 1960s (Fredriksen-Goldsen, 2016). Research is emerging on health disparities and is fueling calls for inclusive services for this population. This paper session reports on the work of a research collaborative between social work and public health (two universities and a statewide advocacy organization). A qualitative study, designed as phase one a statewide need assessment, engaged ten focus groups (N=48 participants) throughout a mid-Atlantic state. Study aims were to better understand the experiences and perceptions of LGBTQ older adults now and expectations and plans for care as they age. Findings included (1) emphasis on the nuance of connection as an ageing LGBTQ adult; (2) expectations for quality of services; (3) realities of planning for future living arrangements; and (4) two sides of advocacy, as both a personal responsibility and a call for allyship. Recommendations will be made on how attendees can: evaluate agency policies and procedures to create safe spaces and inclusive services, engage in needs assessments of older LGBTQ+ adults in their own communities, and advocate at the State and Federal levels to strengthen services in the aging network to better serve this group, with specific focus on the Older Americans Act.

scholarly journals Older Americans Act Supports and Services: Adapting to the Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 301-301
Author(s):  
Amy Gotwals
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Older Americans Act ◽  
Aging Network

Abstract This session provides insights into how the pandemic challenged the capabilities and ingenuity of the Older Americans Act (OAA) programs and the aging network. Speakers will include key aging network stakeholders, who will discuss the overnight evolution of programs serving often isolated older adults.

Screening and Priority-Setting to Determine Home- and Community-Based Aging Services for Older Floridians

2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110125
Author(s):  
Lawrence Schonfeld ◽  
Jesse Bell ◽  
Mary Goldsworthy ◽  
Kevin Kip ◽  
Amber M. Gum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
Aging Services ◽  
Optimal Health ◽  
Aging Network ◽  
Community Based Services

The National Aging Network serves millions of older Americans seeking home- and community-based services, but places others on waitlists due to limited resources. Little is known about how states determine service delivery and waitlists. We therefore conducted a process evaluation and analyzed data from one five-county Area Agency on Aging in Florida, where an algorithm calculates clients’ priority scores for service delivery. From 23,225 screenings over 5.5 years, clients with higher priority scores were older, married, living with caregivers, and had more health problems and needs for assistance. Approximately 51% received services (e.g., meals/nutrition, case management, caregiver support), 11% were eligible/being enrolled, and 38% remained on waitlists. Service status was complex due to multiple service enrollments and terminations, funding priorities, and transfers to third-party providers. More research is needed regarding how other states determine eligibility and deliver services, potentially informing national standards that promote optimal health in older Americans.

Local Initiatives to Fund Services for Older Americans: Community Recognition of the Importance of Social Care

2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482094432
Author(s):  
Athena Koumoutzis ◽  
Sara E. Stemen ◽  
Renusha Maharjan ◽  
Jennifer Heston-Mullins ◽  
Pamela S. Mayberry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
The United States ◽  
State Funding ◽  
Eligibility Criterion ◽  
Supportive Services ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Alternative Funding ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Aging Services ◽  
Tax Levies

Despite the growing proportion of older adults in the United States, federal and state funding for nonmedical supportive services remains limited. To meet increasing demand, some communities across the nation are exploring alternative funding sources for aging services. Although no systematic database exists to track such local programs, through an array of data sources including a national survey, telephone contacts, and a web review, we identified 15 states that are using local funding to support aging services. Communities are using a variety of local revenue streams, such as property tax levies, payroll, and sales taxes to provide services for older adults and/or their family or friend caregivers. There are considerable differences in community approaches including the following: amount of revenue generated, service eligibility criterion, type of services covered, and management infrastructure. Critical policy questions surrounding equity issues within and across states are raised as communities create these alternative funding mechanisms.

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