A paramount piece of legislation to be familiar with, for anyone interested in working with older adults, is the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA). The OAA was signed by President Johnson as a part of his Great Society, with the mission of helping older adults maintain and maximize their independent in their homes and communities. To accomplish this mission, the OAA established a network of federal, state, and local agencies to plan and provide services to older adults. This network is informally known as the Aging Network. The Aging Network currently includes the federal Administration on Aging (AoA), 56 State Units on Aging (SUAs), and 622 Area Agencies on Aging. These agencies have become the primary driving force behind the coordination and delivery of home and community-based services to older adults all over the county.
The 7 Titles of OAA
1. Declaration of Objectives: Title I lays out the broad objectives of the OAA, which focus on physical and mental health for all older adults regardless of economic status.
2. Administration on Aging: Title II created the AoA giving it the authority and responsibility to oversee the implementation of the OAA at the state and local levels.
3. Home and Community-Based Services: Title III authorizes the funding for the services offered to older adults on the state and local levels. These services include supportive services such as in-home care and senior centers, nutrition services, disease prevention and health promotion services and caregiver support. Title III is the bulk of the OAA and its services account for almost 3/4s of the entire OAA budget. All people 60 years of age and older are eligible for these services, but priority is given to those in most need.
4. Program Innovation: Title IV provides funding for training, research and discretionary projects in the field of aging with the goal of enhancing the quality of program and service provision.
5. Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP): Title V provides subsided employment for low-income, unemployed adults that are 55 years of age or older.
6. Grants for Native Americans: Title VI provides funding specifically for supportive and nutritional services for Native Americans.
7. Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection: Title VII authorizes the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program and requires states to educate the public on how to identify and prevent elder abuse.
Timeline of the Older American Act: Key Milestones through 2016 final text FINAL
For more context on the Older American Act and similar policies that impact older adults, check out this link from the National Council on Aging.
This resource more thoroughly explains the role of Area Agencies on Aging and highlights the great work they do in communities: https://www.usaging.org/Files/LocalLeadersAAA2017.pdf
The following infographic presents the impact of The Aging Network over a 5-year period:
Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA)
The AAA that Franklin County falls under is service area 6, Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA)
The Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging plans, funds, and delivers services that help older adults and individuals with disabilities remain safe and independent in their homes.
With the assistance of area providers, COAAA arranges and coordinates services to help individuals with daily living such as homemaking, transportation, home delivered meals, and personal care. COAAA offers education and resources to caregivers, professionals, and the public and advocates for programs and policies that benefit older adults and individuals with disabilities. COAAA manages services for 15,000 people and funds services for another 25,000 older adults in eight counties: Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union. COAAA is operated under the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.
COAAA Mission Statement:
The mission of the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging is to inform and support people as they navigate the experience of aging or disability.
For more information, please visit their website: https://www.coaaa.org/
Franklin County Office on Aging (FCOA)
FCOA is a county level office that provides and coordinates crucial services to older adults in the Franklin County Area. While FCOA is not formally part of the Aging Network, it is an important agency in the aging community in Franklin County. Services provided include community support, outreach, & specialized services, customer service management, home and community-based care, public information, safe housing, and protective interventions.
FCOA is primarily responsible for planning, coordinating, and providing centralized access to diverse services and programs that assist older adults, dependent adults, and their families in the maintenance of independent living.
For more information, please visit their website: https://officeonaging.org/
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