What is the Older Americans Act?
Congress passed the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 1965 in response to concern by policymakers about a lack of community social services for older persons. In turn, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) were created in 1974 by the Older Americans Act with the mission of creating home and community-based services to maximize the independence and dignity of older adults. AAA’s are a nationwide network of nonprofit agencies, created by Congress to be one-stop shops with information about programs, services, and housing options. The Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020 reauthorizes these programs for FY 2020 through FY 2024. You can learn more here.
The Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan (AAAWM) serves a nine-county region: Allegan, Ionia, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Newaygo, and Osceola, and administers the Older Americans Act funding for the region.
