Older Americans Act
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For five decades, the OAA has been the foundation upon which the federal, state and local organizational infrastructure has developed, planned and delivered home and community-based services and supports to older adults and their caregivers. This infrastructure is defined in the OAA as a national Aging Network that currently includes 56 state and territorial units on aging, more than 600 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), more than 270 Title VI Native American Aging Programs, and more than 20,000 community service providers.
The OAA currently supports a wide array of programs and services, including information and referral, congregate and home-delivered meals, health and wellness programs, in-home care, transportation, elder abuse prevention, caregiver support and adult day care.
AAAs were added to the Act in 1973 to be the on-the-ground organizations charged with helping vulnerable older adults live with independence and dignity in their homes and communities. The OAA mandates that AAAs use the flexibility provided in the law to ensure that local needs and preferences are taken into consideration and that the resulting local service delivery system is tailored to the community.
Today, AAAs coordinate a complex local service delivery system that serves millions of older adults and caregivers in every community in the country, providing access to critical home and community-based services. To connect to your local AAA, call +1 800.677.1116 or look it up online.
Learn more about AAAs’ OAA and other roles in communities nationwide.
Resources
- USAging advocates for increased OAA funding. Join us!
- U.S. Administration on Aging/ACL OAA Resources
- Congressional Research Service, 2021 Overview
- AARP Older Americans Act Spotlight