OAMLogoColor_400pIn 1965, the Older Americans Act set in motion a new network of largely community-based social services and supports to help older adults remain healthy and independent, living in their homes and communities as long as possible.

On April 19, 2016, after legislation garnered bipartisan support from both houses of Congress, President Obama signed the latest and long-overdue reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. This is great news for millions of older adults, and truly a cause for celebration as we embark on Older Americans Month in May. This year’s theme, appropriately enough, is “Blaze a Trail.” And it is one that resonates deeply with all of us at The John A. Hartford Foundation, given our own trailblazing work in improving the care of older adults.

Why the Older Americans Act Matters

The Administration for Community Living, aging, disabilityFor more than 50 years, the Older Americans Act has been a cornerstone of this country’s commitment to caring for people who have spent their lives contributing to their families, communities, and society.

The Act established the Administration on Aging, which is now a part of the Administration for Community Living (ACL). Under the inspired leadership of ACL Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging, Kathy Greenlee, the ACL today oversees an essential network of aging services and programs that includes home-delivered and congregate meals; elder abuse prevention; job training; family caregiver support; preventive health services; transportation; legal services; and so much more.

We at The John A. Hartford Foundation are particularly pleased that amendments to this year’s reauthorization legislation strengthened programs focused on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, as well as emphasized evidence-based health and wellness programs.

While the Older Americans Act reauthorization, which was five years overdue, is certainly a crucial step, the key will be for Congress to provide the necessary funding in the next spending bill.

Blazing a Trail Together

senior_couple_happy_300pThe John A. Hartford Foundation remains committed to supporting the kinds of services and programs championed by the Older Americans Act. The “Blaze a Trail” theme resonates so profoundly with us because the Foundation has been creating a path to better care for older adults for more than three decades, focusing our funding efforts exclusively in aging and health.

In recent years, the rapidly changing health care landscape has offered unprecedented new opportunities. New models of health care payment are encouraging hospitals, health systems, and health plans to provide the social supports and services that can help older adults remain safe and healthy in their homes instead of in higher-cost care settings.

As a result, community-based organizations have the opportunity to work with health systems and plans in sustainable, revenue-generating business partnerships that will enable more older adults to access these services. And the Foundation has been accelerating its investments in this area.

We are excited to be working with Sandy Markwood, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), through a $2.9 million grant that supports an initiative to successfully build and strengthen partnerships between social service agencies and health care systems so older adults will have access to evidence-based programs. This initiative works directly with the ACL, as well as the American Society on Aging and the Independent Living Research Utilization program.

Our grant to n4a builds on a collaboration with the ACL and a group of foundations that is providing technical assistance to aging services network members in 20 communities so they can build their business acumen and work more effectively with health care providers, fill in service gaps, and meet the needs of older adults.

Two members of that technical assistance collaborative include our grantees in California, the Partners in Care Foundation, and in Massachusetts, the Elder Services of Merrimack Valley and Hebrew SeniorLife. With our funding they are prototyping networks of community-based, social service agencies that can link to the health care sector.

The John A. Hartford Foundation also has a long history of funding studies, advocacy, and health care innovations that support family caregivers. The Foundation is currently supporting a comprehensive study on family caregiving for older adults by the prestigious Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) that will be released later this year. The report will present evidence-based recommendations for public and private sector policies to support family caregivers. (For more on the Foundation’s efforts to support family caregivers, read: Modern Day Heroes: Celebrating Family Caregivers of Older Adults and Their Caring Superpowers.)

This is all good news for older adults as we celebrate Older Americans Month. While it is worth reflecting on our successes to see how far we’ve come, we understand that we still need to blaze and travel new trails to reach our goal of better care for older adults. And it will take all of us working together to get there.

For more information, read the Foundation's press release on Older Americans Month.