Preserving the Older Americans Act: A Message from Our CEO
As the Older Americans Act (OAA) celebrates its 60th anniversary, proposed federal changes threaten to dismantle the coordinated services that help older adults live independently and with dignity. Local Office on Aging President & CEO Ron Boyd explains why preserving the integrity of the OAA is crucial for seniors in our community and across the nation.
Take action now: Urge your members of Congress to keep OAA services unified and fully funded. Our seniors deserve dignity, safety, and independence.
Every Tuesday morning, Mrs. Johnson waits by her window for the Meals on Wheels volunteer. The hot meal is important, but what she cherishes most is the friendly conversation and the quick wellness check that reassures her family she’s safe and healthy.
For 60 years, the Older Americans Act (OAA) has provided seniors across our nation, and right here in the Roanoke Valley, with an invaluable system of integrated services that ensures older adults maintain independence and dignity. This landmark legislation, turning 60 this year, supports healthy aging through services including care coordination, Meals on Wheels delivery, and legal assistance for more than 72,000 local residents.
This system now faces a potential restructuring that concerns those of us dedicated to senior care. The Administration’s draft budget for Fiscal Year 2026 proposes dividing OAA programs between two separate federal agencies — moving nutrition programs to the Administration for Children and Families, while placing other OAA services under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This would dismantle the current system where services are coordinated to address seniors’ needs holistically.
The foundation of our current system is precisely this — coordination. When we deliver a meal to a homebound senior, we’re also conducting a wellness check, providing social connection, and identifying other needs. Transportation services help seniors reach medical appointments, and in-home assistance prevents falls and supports daily living. These services do not operate in silos; they work together as part of a unified system that addresses the whole person and their needs.
What makes the OAA so effective is this very integration. By coordinating nutrition, transportation, in-home care, caregiver support, and other services through a single system, we can efficiently address the complex needs of aging adults. Splitting the OAA could lead to service gaps, increased administrative costs, and confusion among the people we serve.
If the restructuring occurs, Mrs. Johnson may still receive her meal — but the wraparound services she may need to continue living independently at home may no longer be available.
The draft budget also proposes eliminating funding for critical aging programs, including evidence-based health promotion and elder rights efforts that help prevent abuse and neglect. These programs have proven their value in promoting seniors’ health and safety.
If these changes move forward, they will severely impact the ability of older adults in our region to access the services they need to continue living independently in their communities. There simply aren’t enough institutional placements available to support our growing at-home aging population — nor is institutional care what most seniors want, or what is most cost-effective for taxpayers.
The OAA works because it provides a comprehensive continuum of services to meet the diverse needs of older adults. As we consider potential changes to this system, we must ensure that its fundamental strengths — coordination, efficiency, and person-centered care — are preserved.
With one in three local residents now over the age of 60, these changes will significantly impact our valuable senior population. The Local Office on Aging (LOA) provides essential support that enables thousands of seniors across Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, and Roanoke counties, as well as the cities of Covington, Roanoke, and Salem, to remain in their homes.
I encourage community members to learn more about these proposed changes and contact their representatives in Congress. Urge them to ensure that all OAA programs formerly under the Administration for Community Living are moved intact to the Administration for Children and Families, rather than being divided between different agencies.
As we debate budgets and bureaucracies, let’s remember Mrs. Johnson — and thousands like her. Their independence, dignity, and safety depend on a system that sees and serves the whole person.
Our seniors deserve a coordinated system of care that addresses the full spectrum of their needs and allows them to age with dignity in their own homes and communities. We urge Congress and the Administration to maintain the integrated approach that has served our seniors so well. Our communities — and our elders — deserve nothing less.
Ron Boyd is President & CEO of Local Office on Aging, Inc., which has served the Roanoke Valley region for over 50 years, helping older persons remain independent for as long as possible. For more information, visit www.loaa.org or call 540-345-0451.