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About
Alzheimer's Demonstration Grant Program
Today, thanks to the strides made in
our health care and standard of living, 43 million, or one
in six, Americans have celebrated their 60th birthday. Improved
health and programs, such as Social Security, Medicare and
pension plans, have made it possible for most Americans to
enjoy almost 14 years of retirement with a degree of economic
security that few older people had at the turn of the century-years
that offer the opportunity for leisure activities, second careers,
and volunteer service. Nevertheless, many older Americans are
at risk of losing their independence, including:
• The 3 million Americans who
are 85 or older,
• Those living alone without a caregiver,
• Members of minority groups,
• Older persons with physical or mental impairments,
• Low-income older persons, and
• Those who are abused, neglected, or exploited.
Of the 9 million Americans over age 65
who live alone, two million say they have no one to turn to if
they need help. Lack of a caregiver is a serious problem for those
older persons who have chronic conditions and limitations on their
ability to care for themselves and their homes. Their problems
are often compounded by increased medical costs due to poor health
and the need for more supportive services.
Unfortunately, those who are most vulnerable are also most likely to live alone
and to have limited incomes. Eighty percent of those living alone are women and
nearly half of persons aged 85 or older live alone. Older women, the very old,
and minority elderly, have, on average, the lowest incomes among the older population
which severely limits their ability to purchase the health care, goods, services,
and housing options which could help them to remain independent.
In response to the growing number of older people and
their diverse needs, the Older Americans Act of 1965 as Amended calls for a range
of programs that offer services and opportunities for older Americans, especially
those at risk of losing their independence. The Act established the Administration
on Aging (AoA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
which is headed by
the Assistant Secretary for Aging in the Department.
AoA is the Federal focal point and advocate agency for
older persons and their concerns. In this role, AoA works to heighten awareness
among other Federal agencies, organizations, groups, and the public about the
valuable contributions that older Americans make to the Nation and alerts them
to the needs of vulnerable older people. Through information and referral and
outreach efforts at the community level, AoA seeks to educate older people and
their caregivers about the benefits
and services available to help them.
AoA works closely with its nationwide network of Regional offices and State and
Area Agencies on Aging to plan, coordinate, and develop community-level systems
of services that meet the unique needs of individual older persons and their
caregivers. The Administration on Aging collaborates with Federal agencies, national
organizations, and representatives of business to ensure that, whenever possible,
their programs and resources are targeted to the elderly and coordinated with
those of the network on aging.
AoA administers key programs at the Federal level mandated
under various titles of the Older Americans Act. These programs help vulnerable
older persons to remain in their own homes by providing supportive services.
Other programs offer opportunities for older Americans to enhance their health
and to be active contributors to their families, communities, and the Nation
through employment and volunteer
programs.
Several Titles of the Act provide for supportive in-home
and community-based services. Title III supports a range of services including
nutrition, transportation, senior center, health promotion, and homemaker services.
Title VII places emphasis on elder rights programs, including the nursing home
ombudsman program, legal services, outreach, public benefit and insurance counseling
and elder abuse prevention efforts. AoA awards funds for Titles III and VII to
the 57 STATE AGENCIES ON AGING (sometimes referred to as State UNITS on Aging)
which are located in every State and Territory. Under Title VI, AoA also awards
funds to 220 tribes and native organizations to meet the needs of older American
Indians, Aleuts, Eskimos, and Hawaiians. The grantees provide services in keeping
with the unique cultural
heritage of these native Americans.
Program funding is allocated to each State Agency on Aging, based on the number
of older persons in the State, to plan, develop, and coordinate systems of supportive
in-home and community-based services. Most States are divided into Planning and
Service Areas (PSAs) so that programs can be effectively developed and targeted
to meet the unique needs of the elderly residing in that area. Nationwide over
650 AREA AGENCIES ON AGING (AAA) receive funds from their respective State Agencies
on Aging to plan, develop, coordinate and arrange for services in each PSA. In
rural areas, an AAA may serve the needs of elderly people living in a number
of counties, while other AAA's may serve the elderly living in a single city.
AAA's contract with public or private groups to provide services. There are over
27,000 service provider agencies nationwide. In some cases, the AAA may act as
the service provider, if no local contractor is available. Supportive services
fall under several categories, including.
• Access Services-such as information and
referral, outreach, case management, escort and transportation;
• In-Home Services-which include chore, homemaker, personal care, home-delivered
meals, and home repair and rehabilitation,
Community Services-including senior center, congregate meal, day care, nursing
home ombudsman, elder abuse prevention, legal, employment counseling and referral,
health promotion, and fitness programs.
• Caregiver Services-such as respite, counseling, and education programs.
Older persons, their caregivers,
or anyone concerned about the welfare of an older person can contact their
Area Agency on Aging for information and referral to services and benefits
in their community. AAAs are usually listed in the Yellow Pages under the
city or county government headings. A nationwide toll free hotline also provides
information about assistance for older individuals anywhere in the Nation.
The number is: 1 800 677- 1116. When calling, please provide the older persons's
address as well as their zip code number.
In addition to service programs, the Administration on Aging, under Title IV
of the Act, awards funds to support research, demonstration, and training programs.
Research projects collect information about the status and needs of various
subgroups of elderly which is used to plan services and opportunities that
will assist them. Demonstration projects test new program initiatives that
better serve the elderly, especially those who are vulnerable.
Some successful demonstration projects have laid the groundwork for ongoing
nationwide programs under the Older Americans Act. Examples include the national
Nutrition Program for the Elderly which provides congregate and home-delivered
meals to older people; the nationwide network of Area Agencies on Aging; and
the elder abuse prevention program.
Under Title IV, AoA also has provided funds to educational institutions to
develop curricula and training programs for professionals and paraprofessionals
in the field of aging. Programs, for example, has provided training to paraprofessionals
in legal counseling and to homemaker-home health aides who provide supportive
services to the frail elderly. Other programs trained members of minority groups
in leadership, management and direct service provider roles to enhance the
delivery of services to elderly minority individuals.
In the recent past, AoA has awarded funds under Title IV of the Act to support
National Resource Centers for Long Term Care. These centers conduct research,
disseminate information and provide training and technical assistance to improve
national, State and local systems for providing home and community based long
term care. Emphasis is on ethical issues and case management, the increasing
diversity of America's elderly, improving community infrastructures to better
meet the needs of long-term care consumers, and improving the availability
of long-term care services for the rural elderly.
In the future, America's older population will grow and change rapidly. By
the year 2030, those 60 and older will more than double to 85 million, while
those 85+ will triple to 8 million. At the same time, the number of minority
elderly will increase far more rapidly than the general population. While the
number of older white Americans will increase by 97 percent, elderly black
Americans will increase by 265 percent, and Hispanic Americans by 530 percent.
The minority elderly tend to have shorter life expectancies and more serious
health problems at younger ages than do white Americans. They are also sometimes
less able to advocate for themselves because of cultural, language, or educational
barriers. As a group, they, like older women, have limited incomes due to histories
of work that offered low wages and few pension benefits.
While a great deal of progress has been made in establishing community-based
service systems, many communities do not yet have the range of programs needed,
and some report that they have waiting lists for services. Meeting the needs
of older Americans goes far beyond the efforts of government. It requires the
talents and commitment of active older people and a range of groups and organizations.
AoA is working to expand the involvement of agencies and organizations representing
government, business, labor, and the voluntary, religious, and civic communities
that have not worked with the elderly. By encouraging groups to adopt an agenda
and assist their local affiliates in developing a variety of approaches that
help vulnerable older persons, AoA seeks to increase the array of services
and the number of at-risk elderly who can be helped in each community.
The aging of America presents many challenges, but it also offers many opportunities.
Older Americans represent a great reservoir of talent, experience, and knowledge
which can and is being used to better their communities and the Nation. AoA
is working to tap the rich resource of older Americans. Through intergenerational
programming, older persons are serving in preschool, school, and after school
programs as tutors, mentors, role models, and surrogate grandparents. They
are assisting families by working with Head Start children and their parents,
as counselors to troubled youth, and by providing respite care for handicapped
children. AoA's Older Americans Act Eldercare Volunteer Corps uses the talents
of a half million volunteers, many of them older persons, to assist in service
programs supported under the Act. These volunteers work at the community level
to enhance the independence of the elderly.
Through these and the many other programs supported by AoA, the mandate of
the Older Americans Act-to ensure the dignity and independence of older Americans
in their own homes and the opportunity to contribute to their communities and
our Nations coming closer to being fully realized for present and future generations.
For more information about the Administration on Aging, please contact:
Administration on Aging
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Washington, DC 20201
Phone: (202) 619-0724
Fax: (202) 357-3555
E-mail
Website: http://www.aoa.gov
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Dept. of Health & Human Services
