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

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.

Case Study on the Community Resilience Within Title VI Programs During COVID-19: A Qualitative Analysis

Health inequalities increased for Native Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic due to poor infrastructure, lack of electricity, health disparities, limited transportation, and rural location (Yellow Horse, 2021). Title VI programs-- aging network organizations that serve tribal elders--had to be resourceful to meet increased needs and restrictions on service delivery options. Qualitative data from the national 2020 Title VI Native American Aging Programs Survey illustrated the challenges faced and the resiliency of these organizations and their communities. Two rounds of thematic coding of 479 open-ended responses to the survey revealed that communication across organizations, a sense of shared mission, and sharing of resources allowed these agencies to provide more services in innovative ways. Challenges included limited funding, regulatory barriers, and staff burnout. A video presentation by a Title VI program director will provide context for the results of the survey.

The Significance of Trust in Washington State's Aging Network COVID Response

In late summer of 2020, we interviewed 45 senior leaders of social services and health care organizations serving older adults throughout Washington State about service demand, new challenges, and organizational adaptations. These organizations work with people made particularly vulnerable in the pandemic. A significant share reported that half or more of their clients live at or below the poverty line (54%), are people of color (29%), or have limited English language proficiency (20%). The state’s aging network leveraged strong partnerships, expertise, and community knowledge to provide trusted essential services to older Washingtonians and their caregivers. The role of trust as an enabler of emergency response and connection in the context of gentrification, the digital divide, employment loss, and language service gaps will be discussed, as will lack of trust as a barrier to service access, particularly for Latinx immigrant and migrant older adults.

Older Americans Act Meals Programs: Responding to the Pandemic

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.

Advancing State and Local Home Modification Practice and Policy: Findings From Aging Network Surveys

Home modification (HM) can promote older adults’ functioning as their needs change, reduce fall risks, and support caregivers. A supportive home environment is increasingly important as homes become healthcare delivery sites for home and community-based services (HCBS). HM is funded and administered by disparate agencies, often hindering access to HM services for at-risk older adults who need them the most. The Aging Network (State Units on Aging (SUAs), Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), and Title VI organizations serving Native American older adults) plays an important but not well understood role in HM. To address this lack of research, the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, ADvancing States, and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging in cooperation with Scripps Gerontology Center conducted three national surveys, with support from the Administration for Community Living: 1) directors of the 56 SUAs with an 89% response rate; 2) directors of the 618 AAAs with a 79% response rate; and 3) directors of 276 Title VI programs with an 84% response rate. Exemplary practices included HM advocacy through interagency coalitions; state and local plan priority setting; creative HM financing with housing, disability, and health care sectors, including partnerships with Medicaid agencies; and integration of HMs into state and local HCBS, including nursing home transition and caregiver support programs. Findings on the types of HM activities, service delivery barriers, funding sources, collaborations, and targeted populations will inform HM policy and practice for the Aging Network’s critical state and local agencies serving low-income older adults.

Older Americans Act Supports and Services: Adapting to the Pandemic

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

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.