Services & Supports for Older Adults: Federal Role

Five federal agencies within four departments fund home and community-based services and supports that older adults often require to continue living independently in their own homes and communities. The Administration on Aging (AoA) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Transportation (DOT), and Agriculture (USDA) provide funds, often through state agencies, to local governments and community-based organisations. The Older Americans Act of 1965 (the Act) requires AoA to promote and support a comprehensive system of services. This book addresses federal programs that fund these services and supports for older adults; how these services and supports are planned and delivered in selected localities; and agencies’ efforts to promote a coordinated federal system of these services and supports. Furthermore, the book provides information on the OAA’s historical development, and briefly describes the act’s titles, highlighting selected provisions.