Dissecting the OAA: How Can It Affect Assisted Living Facilities?
It might not be as popular as Medicare and Medicaid, but the Older Americans Act (OAA) was also created in 1965 in an effort to provide better care to Americans over the age of 65.
For many years, the Older Americans Act has been at the forefront of helping older people live better lives by being the buffer for those gaps left by Medicare and Social Security.
The OAA has served millions of Americans
Since it was formed in 1965, the OAA has helped millions of Americans through its different programs. 24 million rides have been provided for people who need to go to their doctor’s office, 10.6 million hours of adult daycare have been subsidized and over 40 million hours of personal care aides have been funded by the act over the last few years.
According to the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee Rep. Bobby Scott, “the spectrum of services provided through the OAA—in conjunction with Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security—ensures that our nation’s older Americans are not left behind in their golden years.”
The OAA maintains quality living in older people
With the goal of helping the elderly live their best life possible, the OAA protects older people from abuse or neglect, especially in nursing and assisted living facilities.
The OAA also recognizes the need for independent living in the elderly population where instead of being in a nursing home, more people want to be in assisted living facilities where they can still be independent and free without compromising their need for safety and assistance in some aspects of their routine.
The OAA funds programs supporting independent living, which “is a drop in the bucket compared with the national budget,” according to Dan Adcock of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
The OAA also supports the training and counseling of caregivers through grants in several states.
The OAA supports efforts focused on the older population
From providing funding for assisted living facilities to paying for Meals on Wheels delivered to homes, the OAA also has goals covering long-term care services, retirement income, proper healthcare access and employment opportunities for the elderly population.
Americans over 60 are also covered by federal and local agencies advocating for their welfare under the OAA.
The future of assisted living facilities under the Older Americans Act
With the aging population set to skyrocket in the coming years, the need for more funding is also being felt by lawmakers to continue supporting the OAA. This year, $2.06 billion is needed to pay attention to the issues affecting the older American population.
Assisted living facilities, in particular, are highly needed to tackle issues in proper healthcare and taking the weight off more than 40 million caregivers who offer unpaid services to their loved ones.
With the number of patients with Alzheimer’s disease expected to reach 14 million by 2050, the need for more assisted living facilities offering the best service to these patients has never been higher.
Fallbrook Assisted Living is proud to offer its services to Fremont, NE, and surrounding areas and cities: Arlington, Cedar Bluffs, Ames Nickerson, Fontanelle, Arlington, Leshara, Colon, and Hooper
