Older Americans Act

Congress passed the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 1965 in response to concern by policymakers about a lack of community social services for older persons. The original legislation established authority for grants to states for community planning and social services, research and development projects, and personnel training in the field of aging. The law also established the Administration on Aging (AoA) to administer the newly created grant programs and to serve as the Federal focal point on matters concerning older persons.

Although older individuals may receive services under many other federal programs, today the OAA is considered to be the major vehicle for the organization and delivery of social and nutrition services to this group and their caregivers. It authorizes an array of service programs through a national network of

56 state agencies on aging,
629 area agencies on aging,
nearly 20,000 service providers,
244 tribal organizations and
two Native Hawaiian organizations representing 400 tribes.

The OAA also includes community service employment for low-income older Americans; training, research, and demonstration activities in the field of aging; and vulnerable elder rights protection activities. The links below, which come from the AoA website, offer an unofficial compilation of the OAA, an outline of changes made to the OAA at the most recent reauthorization (2006), a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the OAA and other related sources of information/data.

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Updated: October 21, 2009