By Jacob Salem, State Legislation Manager for the National Association of the Deaf
5/29/2024 4:15:12 PM
Originally published by Deaf Seniors of America. Republished with permission.
Now, let’s take a refresher course. The OAA is U.S. legislation passed in 1965, aiming to support the well-being and independence of older adults. It achieves this through initiatives such as providing nutritious meals, transportation, caregiver support, elder abuse prevention, health promotion, elder rights safeguarding, community service employment opportunities, and funding research and evaluation efforts. Administered by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the OAA allocates federal funding to state and local agencies to deliver these services nationwide. Some of us may remember the 'check-in' program that called if you don't pick up the phone.
Imagine if the rules had not changed for over 35 years. You might find yourself receiving outdated services that have been surpassed by newer, more effective alternatives, despite still being funded. Unfortunately, that was the reality concerning the quality of services for seniors. Recently, there has been a long-overdue transformation in regulations that better meet the changing needs of older Americans. This is a huge milestone, although it could and should have happened years ago.
The OAA, in short, ensures older adults can age with dignity, independence, and support.
Now, here’s one more important stakeholder in issues related to the OAA – ACL. What does ACL have to do with OAA? ACL is a key agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and has been leading the efforts to modernize the OAA regulations. ACL's focus on maximizing independence, well-being, and health for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families has been instrumental in driving these efforts. By proactively updating the regulations, ACL aims to address vulnerabilities within the aging network that were highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are several reasons why updating the OAA regulations is important. First, the changes in the regulation better reflect the needs of today's older adults and help ensure effective use of resources. Second, inconsistencies and lack of clarity exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in multiple efforts to improve response and preparedness and the OAA regulations address some of these issues. For example, initiatives included having ASL interpreters on-screen and providing access to VRI at state drive-thrus during the pandemic. Finally, as we anticipate a larger number of seniors this year due to the aging of the baby boomer generation, aging networks become increasingly important, and updating the regulations becomes even more urgent to meet evolving demands.
In efforts to gain nationwide recognition and advocate for our Deaf* communities, national organizations such as the NAD, Deaf Seniors of America (DSA), National Association of State Agencies of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NASADHH), and Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI) have teamed up with multiple organizations to narrow the gaps and prevent anything from falling through the cracks via OAA regulations.
Before update: Disability definitions limited in scope, excluding communication disabilities.
After update: Expanded disability definitions to include communication disabilities, promoting inclusivity.
Before update: "Greatest social need" definitions lacked explicit mention of communication disabilities.
After update: Revised "greatest social need" definitions to explicitly include communication disabilities.
Before update: Limited access to comprehensive care models for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
After update: Prioritized comprehensive care models accessible for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
Before update: Lack of dedicated grant funds for aging individuals with communication disabilities.
After update: Allocated a minimum amount of grant funds for aging individuals with communication disabilities.
Before update: Limited coordination between state agencies and area agencies on aging serving individuals with communication disabilities.
After update: Enhanced coordination between state agencies and area agencies on aging serving individuals with communication disabilities.
Before update: Sparse availability of language translation services and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation in supportive services.
After update: Expanded supportive services to include language translation services and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation.
Before update: Workforce lacking diversity, hindering effective support for diverse aging populations.
After update: Emphasized the development of a diverse workforce to better address the needs of diverse aging populations.
Before update: Insufficient funding for research on accessible caregiving training.
After update: Increased funding for research on accessible caregiving training to improve quality of care.
Before update: Limited grants for education and training in the field of aging.
After update: Provided grants for education and training in the field of aging to enhance expertise and support.
These are examples of proposed changes we strive to see being implemented in every state across the US, for the benefit of our Deaf community.
The long-awaited update to the OAA regulations represents significant progress in addressing the changing needs of older Deaf Americans. These revisions aim to enhance care and support by promoting clarity, flexibility, and inclusivity for older adults, tribal elders, and family caregivers nationwide. The updated regulations will play a significant role in ensuring that older Deaf Americans can age with dignity, independence, and access to necessary services.
Continue to monitor the latest updates, get involved with local, state, and national organizations, and most importantly, connect with your legislators. Now is the time to build relationships with your representatives and senators. Encourage them to support our proposed amendments while ensuring they continue to learn about our needs.
For more information, please visit the recent updates by the ACL and the DSA or contact NAD at nad.info@nad.org.
* The term "deaf" is used as a shorthand term to refer to people who may identify as Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing.
Jacob Salem serves as the State Legislation Manager at the National Association of the Deaf (NAD).
Deaf Seniors of America welcomes everyone to the first DSA webinar series
When: Tuesday, June 4, 2024, 3:00 pm Eastern Time
Presenters:
This webinar is free.
The Older Americans Act (OAA) supports a wide range of health and health-related social services programs for older individuals defined as aged 60 years or older. These include supportive services such as personal care, chore services, and transportation, congregate nutrition services (i.e., meals served at group sites such as senior centers, community centers, schools, churches, or senior housing complexes), home-delivered nutrition services, family caregiver support, the long-term care ombudsman program, and services to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons.
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