PREFACE
When the United States of America was initially founded in 1776, there had not been a need for services for older adults. The average person lived to be no greater than 40 years. However, as the country progressed, with advancements in science and health, life expectancy greatly increased. Thus, more and more people were living longer. As a result, these people needed services, and so this eventually led to Congress passing the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 1965.
PURPOSE
When it was initially signed into law on July 14, 1965, the Older Americans Act was the first federal-level initiative to provide and fund services for older people. These services include health promotion, caregiver support, meals (commonly referred to as "meals-on-wheels"), transportation, legal services, etc. In addition, the act created the Administration on Aging as a part of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for administering the new programs and distributing resources/funding. On the state level, the act also established the States Units on Aging, state-level administrations that administer and develop state plans that assist older residents. Although Medicare was not directly passed under the OAA, it was passed just 16 days after the OAA in a series of amendments of the Social Security Act. The Social Security Act, which established America's social security system, was originally signed into law in 1935, although amendments to it passed on July 30, 1965, which established Medicare.
THE 2020 REAUTHORIZATION
Currently, the OAA estimates that its services affect over 11 million people across the country. The OAA, active since its original establishment in 1965, has been reauthorized several times. The most recent reauthorization was in March of 2020, under the Trump administration, keeping the act running through 2024. President Trump's reauthorization of the act added two new objectives to it addressing social determinants of health and social isolation/loneliness. The OAA has already begun addressing social isolation by providing programs which include meals, nutrition education, and a socialization opportunity.
FUNDING
The Older Americans Act has a broad scope of objectives and programs, yet it lacks adequate funding to accomplish and provide needed services. Many state programs provided by the OAA in the past few years have been unable to serve all of the people in need of them, resulting in long wait lists in most states. This is mostly due to a lack of funding, as the Older Americans Act received an average of 1.1% per year in federal money from 2001 to 2019. One main concern of the OAA's funding is that it has not been adjusted for the rise of inflation. In addition, as funding for the OAA decreases, the aging population in the USA continues to increase, causing a greater need for the programs that the OAA provides. This crucial issue of funding for the OAA was partially alleviated in its reauthorization in March of 2020, as the reauthorization included a 35% in funding over the five-year time period of 2020-2024.
COVID-19 AND THE OAA
The coronavirus has affected almost all aspects of life, especially for older adults, as they are more susceptible and vulnerable to the virus. Due to this and social distancing guidelines, many of the OAA's programs have seen massive change in the past few months. This includes the CARES act, or the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which provided economic support through checks to vast numbers of Americans. The CARES act also supported programs, many of which were programs of the Older Americans Act. As a result, the act allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to various programs such as home and community-based services (HCBS), meal services, Centers for Independent Living, services for caregivers, and more. In addition, the House passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in March, which provided 250 million dollars for senior nutrition programs of the Older Americans Act. Changes to these programs include switching to home-delivered meals, limiting socialization, and making changes to abide by social distancing guidelines.
CONCLUSION The Older Americans Act has been crucial to efforts to increase support and services for older adults. Since its enactment in 1965, it has provided vital programs, both federal and state level, to support the aging population. In order for it to continue aiding the United States's growing aging population, it must be continually reauthorized and receive adequate funding, including support through the current coronavirus pandemic.
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