Abstract:

A historical perspective of the goals, policies, & programs of the Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965. As administered by the Administration on Aging of the US Dept of Health & Human Services (DHHS), the Act initially received favorable support for its many objectives in serving the needs of all older persons. However, policies of the 1960s & 1970s led to decreased funding, limiting authority & diffusing the responsibility for implementation of programs; further, the politics of austerity & intergenerational equity created a less sympathetic image of the elderly. As the OAA comes up for congressional reauthorization in 1991, more realistic goals must be established, setting such priorities as providing assistance for in-home & community-based services & preventive health maintenance, raising the position of US commissioner on aging to that of assistant secretary on aging within DHHS, & making substantive changes in defining a national policy & delegating responsibility for management of programs & services. Activities by special action groups, eg, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, & the National Council on the Aging, are also reviewed.