Jewish Federations of North America applaud the U.S. Senate’s unanimous passage of the bipartisan Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act. Renewing this act is an important step in securing access to services for older adults across the country. The legislation reauthorizes and strengthens the nation’s primary law supporting older Americans through programs which include nutrition assistance, caregiver support, transportation, elder justice initiatives and services that help older adults remain in their homes and communities.
"The Older Americans Act has long been one of our nation's most important investments in helping older adults remain healthy, connected, and independent," said David Goldfarb, who leads Jewish Federations' Strategic Health Resource Center. "For Jewish Federations, this legislation is especially meaningful and reiterates the broad bipartisan consensus that older adults deserve to age-in place in the communities they call home.”
For decades, Jewish Federations have been on the front lines of caring for older adults in communities across North America. Local Federations provide substantial philanthropic support to partner agencies that make use of Older Americans Act funding to ensure that older adults gain resources they need to age safely at home. These community-based services have become even more critical as the population of older adults continues to grow, and many face increasing isolation, financial insecurity, and complex health needs.
The Senate’s action also reflects priorities spearheaded by Jewish Federations’ Center on Aging, Trauma, and Holocaust Survivor Care, which works to improve care for Holocaust survivors and older adults with a history of trauma. The Center provides training, technical assistance, and resources to service providers across the country, while advancing person-centered, trauma-informed practices throughout the aging services field.
“In many cases, trauma symptoms are a barrier to accessing care,” Goldfarb noted. “By establishing the national resource center on aging and trauma, the Older Americans Act makes it clear that we must recognize trauma’s impact and help all older adults and their caregivers through a person-centered, trauma-informed approach.”
The older Americans Act has long served as the foundation for many of the services that allow older adults to live independently, closely connected with their communities. Jewish Federations are grateful to the bipartisan leaders who advanced this legislation, including Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), as well as Senate Aging Committee Chair Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Their collaborative leadership helped move this critical legislation forward and reaffirmed our nation's commitment to supporting older adults.
We urge the House to take up and pass this legislation and send it to the President’s desk for signature.