Did you know that many of the services that caregivers provide for the elderly are made possible thanks to one federal law, the Older Americans Act?

The Older Americans Act (OAA) first came into existence in 1965. The Act authorized a nationwide network of agencies to manage grants to states to support services for seniors, with the underlying goal of allowing seniors to live independently and remain in their own homes for as long as possible.

Because the funds provided by the OAA are considered discretionary spending in the federal budget, it must be renewed every five years. The OAA currently expires on September 30, 2012, which is the end of the U.S. government’s fiscal year. Congress has been reviewing the Act since January of this year.

The Older Americans Act established the Administration on Aging (AOA) as the national focal point on matters concerning older persons. A recent amendment to the OAA directs states to implement Aging and Disability Resource Centers in every state to provide more local resources for seniors.

Although senior services are provided through a variety of federal programs, it’s through services supported by the OAA that most seniors, especially those in poverty, receive help for their social and nutritional needs.

The services supported by this law include community planning, social services, research and development projects in the field of aging, community service employment for low-income older Americans, personnel training in the field of aging, delivery of social and nutrition services to seniors, and vulnerable-elder rights protection activities. In other words, OAA proves the types of services that touch seniors’ lives directly.

The most well-known service supported by OAA is Meals on Wheels, which delivers up to two meals per day to seniors who are home-bound. Not only does this service ensure that the senior is getting nutrition, it also provides family members – who may live a distance away – with the comfort of knowing that someone is checking in on their elder.

More information about the provisions of the Older Americans Act is available on the Administration on Aging website. You can also follow its status through Congress.

Let your Representative and Senators in Congress know that you want to see the Older Americans Act renewed. This is one law that is worth the effort to contact them.