Meeting Diverse Needs to Help Older Adults Stay in the Community Title III B Services Are OAA’s Best-Kept Secret, But Funding Is Falling Behind OAA III B Helps Older Adults Access Vital OAA Services A 69-year-old man with that all three older adults are he Older Americans Act (OAA) is the cornerstone of dementia who has had receiving the nutrition they the nation’s non-Medicaid home and community-based multiple surgeries lives with need. However, OAA Title III B Tservices (HCBS) system, providing older adults and their his wife. He needs assistance pays for the transportation caregivers with the supports they need to age with health, with bathing, dressing, services needed to deliver dignity and independence in their homes and communities for toileting, transferring and those meals. as long as possible. Essential to the OAA’s ability to support walking. His wife helps Without III B funding, this with all these activities of seniors and caregivers are the many home and community- family would not receive the daily living along with his based services authorized in Title III, Part B of the OAA, fresh, nutritious meals they medication management and which ensures that AAAs can meet the individual needs of need to maintain health and all other household tasks. older adults and their caregivers in the community. independence. Title III B Since her brother, who has services have also provided The funding for services provided through III B is flexible, an intellectual disability education, information and allowing agencies to develop programming to reflect and is unsteady on his feet, referrals to other supportive community needs and provide tailored supports for older recently moved in, she has services needed to prevent adults. There are more than 25 authorized services that local become a caregiver to both caregiver burnout and keep agencies can fund through Title III B, but the most common men. OAA home-delivered everyone safe and together in services are information and referral (e.g., hotlines to help meals, funded through their home. people find local services and resources), case management, OAA Title III C, ensure that in-home care, transportation, adult day care, chore services and legal services. Title III B services are a lifeline for older OAA III B Helps Veterans adults living in the community, and also preserve access to A 92-year-old veteran perform light housekeeping other OAA services—for example, III B–funded transportation lost his wife of 68 years. duties and take him shopping services ensure older adults can reach congregate meal sites. With the loss of her Social for weekly groceries; a Security income, his adjusted medical alert device to ensure Yet funding for Title III B services is lagging. Despite increasing budget left very little money his safety; and a replacement costs and a growing population, funding for Title III B is at the for necessities, such as food refrigerator when his broke same level that it was in FY 2004. While other OAA programs and electricity, after he paid down. She also connected have received partial to full restoration of the FY 2013 his monthly rent. First, a him to a community program sequester cuts, Congress has yet to restore any lost III B funds. III B–funded case manager that made minor repairs to his The impact of underfunding III B is affecting local agencies’ assessed his needs and home, to keep it safe for him ability to help their clients age at home and in the community helped him apply for a VA to live in. pension, which greatly helped and, ultimately, costing taxpayers money. When seniors are All of this has enabled this him better make ends meet. healthier, Medicare saves money; when frail older adults gentleman to stay living In addition, the case manager receive in-home services that prevent or delay nursing home independently in his own home, lined up III B–funded services, and has helped him avoid admission, Medicaid saves money. Unless Congress acts now, such as an in-home aide to seniors are at risk of not receiving the critical, cost-effective nursing home placement. HCBS they need to age with health, independence and dignity. Photo courtesy of The Blade © 10/24/14 of courtesy Photo

OAA III B Helps Older Adults in Emergencies In 2015, one local Area During the Toledo water Agency on Aging provided crisis of August 2014, III B–funded emergency hundreds of homebound home repairs to six older adults worried about older households in the how they were going to get county. All of the homes their next drink of water. needed either repairs to or In response, Retired Senior replacement of the furnace Volunteer Program (RSVP) during the frigid winter volunteers assembled and months and during record delivered 1,000 emergency low temperatures. By using kits with shelf-stable meals, Title III B dollars in this water and safety items to flexible way, the local AAA hundreds of homebound was able to meet their clients’ older adults during the water urgent needs, restore their crisis. The local AAA drew homes to safety, and keep upon III B funds to help fund these older adults healthy and this effort, including paying living independently. for transportation costs in the delivery of the emergency kits.

OAA III B Helps Seniors Stay Engaged in the Community Many health and wellness I found a nearby community activities at local senior center, but I thought only centers are funded by OAA ‘old people’ went to a senior Title III B, with the goal of center. I started slow, doing helping older adults maximize puzzles and making friends. OAA Title III B ensures their health, avoid isolation Now I am crocheting, dancing, and stay engaged in their doing origami, wood carving, communities. taking an exercise class, plus that local Area Agencies watching my food intake with According to one knowledge gained from our former schoolteacher in on Aging (AAAs) can meet nutrition classes. Jacksonville, FL, “Retirement meant for me just resting. “The center is now my time the individual needs of Resting in a rocking chair, to give back: I accepted a enjoying nothing, doing nomination to the center’s older adults and caregivers nothing, seeing nothing. council and I volunteer as the treasurer.” “Well, this wore off very soon. in the community. I wanted to do something!

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) www.n4a.org • 202.872.0888 Amy E. Gotwals, Chief, Public Policy and External Affairs 1730 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Suite 1200 > [email protected] Washington, DC 20036 Autumn Campbell, Director, Public Policy and Advocacy www.facebook.com/n4aACTION • www.twitter.com/n4aACTION > [email protected]