{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr4334-116/featured_supporting-older-americans-act-of-2020-1583355687.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr4334-116/featured_large_supporting-older-americans-act-of-2020-1583355687.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr4334-116.png"},"introduced_on":"2019-09-16","title_override":"Should the Older Americans Act be Reauthorized & Enhanced?","summary_override":"

This bill — the Dignity in Aging Act of 2019 — would reauthorize the Older Americans Act (OAA) for five years beginning in FY2020 and increase funding for a number of programs to help older Americans live independently and with dignity. This bill’s key provisions are summarized below.

Increases funding for all Older Americans Act Programs

This bill would authorize an inflation-adjusted 7% in funding for OAA programs in FY2020, then annual 6% in the next four years of the reauthorization period. This lead to a 35% total increase in program funding over the five-year reauthorization period.

Increase support and outreach services

To improve support for both caregivers and elderly persons and access to resources, this bill would:

Require outreach to identify individuals eligible for assistance under the OAA, with an emphasis on marginalized populations;
Require the Assistant Secretary to publish a list of the resource centers and demonstration projects funded under the OAA on an annual basis;
Provide more tailored support to family caregivers;
Put a stronger focus on addressing social isolation among seniors by empowering local organizations to test local solutions;
Require the Assistant Secretary for Aging at the Department of Health and Human Services to create a new focus on the issue of social isolation among older adults at the national level;
Create a demonstration program specifically to provide grants to tribal organizations to carry out in-home and community supportive services; and
Establish the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Age-Friendly Communities and tasks the Committee with coordinating efforts to promote safe and accessible independent living environments.

Support research, evaluation, and demonstration efforts relating to aging

This bill would establish a National Research, Demonstration, and Evaluation Center for the Aging Network in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of HHS. This Center would be responsible for conducting, promoting, and coordinating research, including evaluation and demonstration projects, and related technical assistance for projects related to aging. It would also increase the repository of information on evidence- based programs and interventions available to the Aging Network.

Increase older individuals’ economic opportunity and multigenerational engagement

This bill would put improve economic opportunity and multigenerational engagement. Specifically, it would:

Add individuals who are justice-involved as a priority population for the Senior Community Service Employment Program; and
Allow demonstration funds to be used for multigenerational collaboration projects that provide opportunities for older individuals to participate in multigenerational activities and civic engagement activities.

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Support aging in place

To help older individuals age in place, this bill would:

Create an initiative to coordinate federal resources to promote the independence and safety of adults living at home as they age, including resources targeting falls prevention, home assessments, and home modifications;
Codify the existing Falls Prevention and Chronic Disease Self-Management Education program into the OAA; and
Add a focus on focus on expanding and improving the direct care workforce through demonstration projects.

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Among other things, the bill reauthorizes through FY2024 and revises programs that support caregivers of the elderly; informational services, such as pension counseling; nutritional services, such as meal delivery; disease prevention and health promotion services; community and ...","summarized":true,"cost":10900000000,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimates that implementing this bill would cost $10.9 billion over the 2020-2024 period and $1.4 billion after 2024.","impact":"Aging persons; support for aging persons and their caregivers; in-home care for aging persons; HHS; and the Older Americans Act (OAA).","argument_for":"The Older Americans Act (OAA) is the single most important piece of legislation offering support to aging populations in the U.S. and their caregivers so that elderly Americans can live with dignity. 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I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. 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Should the Older Americans Act be Reauthorized & Enhanced?