Dear PVM Supporters: Please note this Action Alert from The Senior Alliance. The Older Americans Act is crucial to the work of the aging services network. Please help us raise the voices of seniors with policy influencers. Thanks for all you do for PVM and Michigan seniors.
Background
The federal Older Americans Act (OAA) authorizes critical services for older adults and their caregivers, such as: home-delivered meals (meals-on-wheels), long term care ombudsman, elder abuse prevention, non-emergency medical transportation, legal assistance, adult day care, evidence-based wellness and other important programs. The current OAA expires at the end of September, which means that Congress must update the Older Americans Act to ensure these vital programs supporting older adults and caregivers continue not only in southern and western Wayne County, but around the country!
The Senior Alliance supports a baseline Older Americans Act authorization of $2.5 billion to restore aging network funding to 2010 levels and indexing annual authorization increases over the next five years. In addition, the commitment to Title III local planning and development should be maintained with a robust aging services research and development authority enabled to evaluate, enhance and replicate evidence-based interventions. Updating long-term care ombudsman provisions and strengthening protections against all forms of abuse are also critical elements to modernizing the OAA.
The Senior Alliance is advocating for these programs alongside our partners in Washington, D.C. to ensure federal lawmakers understand how important the OAA is to their constituents. However, we need YOU to help make our voice stronger by telling members of Congress how these vital OAA services help older adults and caregivers in our community.
Action!
Call, e-mail or write U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, as well as your U.S. Representative today! Share a story of how one or more of these programs has impacted someone you or someone you know! It’s critical that all members of Congress understand how critical OAA funding is to older adults and caregivers.
