The legislation provides funding for critical services including Meals on Wheels, transportation, caregiver support, legal services, elder abuse protection and more, for the next three years. Congressional members in the House and Senate approved the legislation earlier this year.
“The OAA underpins a promise to preserve the right to live independently, with dignity, making everyday decisions according to our individual preferences and goals across our lifespan,” Kathy Greene, assisted secretary of aging with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said in a statement.
Many industry groups voiced their support of the reauthorization.
“Our nation faces a severe and growing shortage of eldercare providers with the skills and training to meet the unique health care needs of older adults,” Amy York, director of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA), said in a statement. “EWA is committed to supporting the reauthorization of the OAAA as it invests in building and maintaining an eldercare workforce—the includes family caregivers—that supports well-coordinate, high-quality care for older adults.”