Key Takeaways

  • Over 11 million older adults and their caregivers benefit from Older Americans Act programs administered by the nationwide Aging Services Network.

  • Reauthorization of the Act is a crucial opportunity for Congress to modernize and improve services and addressing the ability to effectively serve older adults in need.

  • Learn more about the proposals that the National Council on Aging is introducing as part of the priorities for reauthorization.

As part of the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA), the National Council on Aging (NCOA) has several proposals to be reflected in proposed legislation. 

These provisions include:

  • Creating an Innovation Center that can lead a robust aging services research and development authority to evaluate and support scaling of evidence-based interventions and innovations that can improve wellness and quality of life, reduce Medicare or Medicaid costs, and promote independence and healthy aging.
  • Strengthening the OAA’s focus on healthy aging, particularly regarding falls prevention and chronic disease self-management.
  • Enhancing the efforts of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) to provide crucial workforce development opportunities to low-income older workers with significant barriers to employment and economic security.
  • Protecting the crucial services of the OAA and providing a path for future investments.

Download NCOA's proposals for the 2019 reauthorization of OAA.