WATCH: Kelly Highlights Benefits of Older Americans Act for Arizona Seniors During Aging Committee Hearing

This week, during a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing to consider the impact and upcoming reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA), Arizona Senator Mark Kelly highlighted how the reauthorization could better serve Arizona seniors by enhancing the flexibility and effectiveness of local agencies, particularly in nutrition services and community support. The OAA is due to be reauthorized by September 30^th, 2024. 

Kelly emphasized the importance of supporting OAA programs integrated with the broader aging network to meet diverse needs and provide cost-efficient services to older adults before they require more acute levels of care. He also underlined the necessity of maintaining and expanding local decision-making powers to ensure that services are tailored to the unique requirements of each community. 

“Since I’ve been in the Senate—three and a half years now—I’ve been grateful for my senior’s advisory group that I meet with often to discuss the issues impacting Arizona seniors,” said Kelly during the hearing. “Most of this group is made up by representatives of the Arizona Area Agencies on Aging. Because of that, I’ve gotten to understand the essential role that Area Agencies on Aging play in their communities, from providing meals to helping someone find a direct care aide to connecting older adults to benefit programs to make the most out of a fixed income. […] So, I want to make sure we all understand why it’s so important that we successfully reauthorize and fund programming in the Older Americans Act.”  

Click here to watch his full exchange with witnesses. See below to read a transcript of Kelly’s remarks and questions:  

Sen. Kelly: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for having this hearing today. 

Since I’ve been in the Senate—three and a half years now—I’ve been grateful for my senior’s advisory group that I meet with often to discuss the issues impacting Arizona seniors.   

Most of this group is made up by representatives of the Arizona Area Agencies on Aging. Because of that, I’ve gotten to understand the essential role that Area Agencies on Aging play in their communities, from providing meals to helping someone find a direct care aide to connecting older adults to benefit programs to make the most out of a fixed income.  

These organizations are, in many areas of my state, the backbone of the aging services community. They call themselves the best-kept secret in Arizona until folks turn 60.  

So, I want to make sure we all understand why it’s so important that we successfully reauthorize and fund programming in the Older Americans Act.  

So, Ms. Painter, your role is authorized under the OAA but you’re also deeply immersed in the rest of the aging network.   

Could you speak to have the OAA and area agencies on aging fit into the aging ecosystem and why they are so important not only to Arizonans, but to all Americans? 

Ms. Painter: Thank you, that’s a great question. I think working in partnership in order to support individuals at the lowest level of need, so that they are able to age in a healthy way, to support them before they have the highest need. That way we are giving them, we spoke about good nutrition, access to programming, information about health and wellness, we want to encourage individuals to be a part of their community. 

Sen. Kelly: And would those be the examples of the lowest level of need? 

Ms. Painter: The lowest level of need. And doing that on an individual level so that Area Agencies on Aging—I can speak for Connecticut, that I know—they meet with their communities and talk to individuals that they serve about the programs that they want in their areas. And so, it is really about ensuring that they are meeting the needs of the individuals that they serve, because it can be different district to district. And so, we want to make sure that if it is an ombudsman program that is decentralized, they may also house some from the ombudsman within the Area Agencies on Aging so they could be having information about what services are needed from the ombudsman’s office. They could be speaking about what they’re seeing related to long-term care, home and community-based services, as well as meal delivery services, or even transportation services. We know that comes up a lot for individuals and how they are reaching doctor’s appointments or access to food and other resources. So, I think if we’re not able to do that, we would see people needing higher levels of care which is more expensive, more quickly.  

Sen. Kelly: It’s true, and I think in a lot of areas in health care as well, trying to tackle the problems earlier can be less costly. 

Sen. Kelly: Ms. Billotte, thank you for being here today and thank you for sharing your story. I’m sorry for your loss. Your testimony about your local Area Agency on Aging made sure you were fed and looked after during your illness was very powerful. You mentioned your interaction with Fred, who delivers your meals. As we work to reauthorize the OAA, Arizona’s Area Agencies on Aging have requested that we allow them one unified nutrition program so they can determine how best to split up congregate meals and home-delivered meals to folks who qualify. The Arizona Agencies have said that would make it easier to fill the needs of their local communities. Nearly all of them have a waitlist for home-delivered meals, but they aren’t seeing the same demand for in-person congregate meals. I think some folks up here are a bit hesitant to create one single nutrition program because socialization is such an important part of the meal program within the OAA. So, Ms. Billotte, do you feel like your home delivered meals were the right fit for you when you needed them—both for your physical and mental health? Ms. Billotte: They were. It was very helpful when my husband was sick and I also was sick, that we receive these meals and were able to understand that they were nutritional, and that they did help us that we were able to receive them. I also understand that there are many more Americans that are on a waiting list for the meals on wheels and would appreciate being able to speak to people that would be able to put this program into service, so that we can receive services. And I think that is very helpful us as American citizens.