WASHINGTON, D.C — With the aim of creating a more inclusive society, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, this week joined hands with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), to introduce the Strategic Plan for Aging Act in Washington, D.C.
Intended to buttress the efforts of states to comprehensively address the needs of older adults, the bill proposes the creation of a nationwide grant program under the Older Americans Act (OAA). Such a program would lend support to states’ initiatives to institute cross-sector, state-led strategic planning resources. This is aimed at steering smart policy decisions and investments at the state level, enabling older adults to live with dignity in the setting of their choice. Currently, at least 24 states are in various stages of implementing, developing, or initiating such comprehensive plans.
“An aging population is not a burden, but a resource,” stated Senator Bob Casey, asserting the importance of fulfilling Congress’s commitment to Pennsylvanians and older citizens across the country. The bill, he added, would help equip states with the resources needed to prepare for the years ahead and ensure that no older Americans are left behind.
With more than 57 million Americans aged 65 years and older, and a forecasted rise in these numbers, Senator Gillibrand emphasized the necessity of investing in the well-being of elder citizens. The aging act proposes to allocate millions for states to develop strategic aging plans providing resources and solutions to address everything, from housing and food insecurity to escalating health care costs, insufficient retirement savings, and elder abuse.
The Strategic Plan for Aging Act proposes to:
- Award grants to states, territories, and Tribes to devise or sustain the development of their Multisector Plan for Aging.
- Set a deadline of not more than two years from the receipt of the grant for awardees to finalize and begin implementing their plan, which should span a 10-year period.
- Encourage collaborative efforts between state, local, nonprofit, and private sectors on system-based solutions encompassing all significant areas of aging life, such as health care, housing, transportation, consumer affairs, employment, social connection, and income security.
- Furnish awardees with the resources needed to coordinate, implement, and evaluate cross-agency and private sector plans aimed at improving the lives of older adults, especially those with disabilities.
- Award up to 65 grants within a span of 5 years; each grant could be worth up to $500,000 with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services holding the discretion to award a lesser amount, depending on the size and need of the state, territory, and tribal organization.
The introduction of the Aging Act gives the aging population a reassuring promise of a dignified and secure future. As the leader of the Aging Committee, Senator Casey spearheads the Congress’s initiatives to meet federal obligations to older Americans ensuring that the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act later this year continues to support the Multisector Plans for Aging.
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