A deal has been reached between the House of Representatives and the Senate to reauthorize the Older Americans Act for five years! This great news comes on the heels of over a year of negotiations and local advocacy. H.R. 4334, the Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020, will be moving in both the House and the Senate to try to wrap up this reauthorization process.

 

The Older Americans Act provides the framework that PCOA uses to serve older adults and their families in the community. Much of PCOA's funding to provide these valuable and critical services comes to us through the Older Americans Act.

 

This bipartisan bill has many wins for the aging community and aging network:

 

• Provides authorization levels for funding through 2020
  • Authorization levels will increase by 7% in the first year and by 6% each year through FY2024
• Provides more flexibility in nutrition programming
• Requires the Assistant Secretary on Aging to create a long-term plan for addressing social isolation
• Removes a cap on providing supports to grandparents raising grandchildren
• Includes language on including access to person-centered, trauma-informed services as appropriate
• Adds definitions to the list of evidence-based disease prevention and health promotion programs, including:

  • Screening for immunization status

  • Screening for malnutrition

  • Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases

  • Screening for suicide risk

  • Screening for fall-related traumatic brain injury

  • Addressing public health emergencies/emerging threats

  • Negative effects of social isolation

• Recognizes the social determinants of health as a factor in aging. These determinants including housing, transportation, access to medical care, access to clean air and water, and so much more.

 

These are just the highlights. The Reauthorization is considered a national win for aging advocates, bringing much needed additional support to communities nationwide, and we need your help pushing it through these final stages.

 

Click "take action" today to contact your Members of Congress and ask them to vote yes on the Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020, H.R. 4334.

Aside from government funding that we receive, PCOA is a non-profit organization supported by generous people like you. Click here to make a donation today!