Department of Health and Human Services
Administration on Aging

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Media Advisories

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging to Address National Association of Area Agencies on Aging 32nd Annual Conference and Tradeshow

For Immediate Release
July 31, 2007

HHS Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina G. Carbonell will provide keynote remarks before the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging 32nd Annual Conference and Tradeshow on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 in San Francisco, CA.

BACKGROUND:

Assistant Secretary Carbonell, as head of the national aging services network, is working to modernize community-based long term care and provide greater assurance that older individuals in the United States maintain their independence in the community as long as possible. Assistant Secretary Carbonell will address the ongoing policies and efforts that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration on Aging are pursuing as part of that modernization effort. She will also discuss the implementation of the new long-term care provisions in the Older Americans Act.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4a) is the umbrella organization that represents 655 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and 243 tribal organizations throughout the country. AAAs work with over 29,000 local community service organizations that serve nine million older adults and over 700,000 caregivers. Additionally, in more than half the states, AAAs operate home and community-based Medicaid waiver programs that in total devote billions of dollars a year to enable people to remain in their own homes. AAAs and Title VI (Native American/American Indian) programs are also involved in Medicare Part D (prescription drug benefits) and provided enrollment assistance to millions of Medicare beneficiaries over the past two years.

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The AoA is a Federal agency dedicated to policy development, planning and the delivery of supportive home and community-based services to older persons and their caregivers through the national aging network of state and local agencies on aging, tribal organizations, service providers and volunteers.

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