Overview
The Older Americans Act (OAA), originally enacted in 1965, supports a range of home and community-based services, such as home delivered meals and other nutrition programs, in-home services, transportation, legal services, elder abuse prevention, and caregivers support. These programs help older individuals stay as independent as possible in their homes and communities. In addition, OAA services help older adults avoid hospitalization and nursing home care, and as a result, save federal and state funds that otherwise would be spent on such care.
The OAA authorizes a range of services and supports that help older Americans remain as independent and productive as possible in their own homes and communities. The OAA consists of seven titles.
Title III – Grants for States and Community Programs on Aging – covers supportive services such as case management, senior center services, in-home services, transportation, and information and referral. Also included under Title III are nutrition programs, such as home delivered meals and senior center group meals; family caregiver support; and health promotion and disease prevention services. Funds for Title III programs are distributed based on a state’s proportionate share of either the age 60 or older population, or in the case of caregiver support programs, the age 70 or older population. Each state then has its own formula for allocating OAA funding to area agencies on aging which enables the delivery of services to local areas.
Title III-B: Supportive Services Program
Title III-C-1: Congregate Nutrition Services Program
Title III-C-2: Home Delivered Nutrition Services
Title III-D: Disease Prevention