New Report Sheds Light on Critical Need for Aging Services

For Immediate Release
July 30, 2020
Contact: Joellen Leavelle, jleavelle@n4a.org and 202.872.0888
 
WASHINGTON—A new report released by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) highlights the critical role that Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) play in ensuring that older adults can live safely and supported at home and in the community. Through a variety of programs and services that help enable older adults visit the doctor, pick up prescription medications, repair and modify their homes, maintain nutrition, receive in-home supports and so much more, in every community in the country Area Agencies on Aging support the need of older adults to live with maximum health, well-being, independence and dignity in their homes and communities.
 
The AAA National Survey Report documents the findings of the National Survey of AAAs, which shows that these deeply rooted community organizations provide an array of supports that are tailored to meet the needs of the nation’s rapidly growing population of older adults. With the number of older adults targeted to grow to 73 million by the year 2030, the role of Area Agencies on Aging is increasingly important, particularly in light of the lasting impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on older adults.
 
“The report shows that even before COVID-19, Area Agencies on Aging served their communities by providing an array of services and supports that help older adults maintain their health, dignity, independence and well-being at home and in the community, which we know is where they want to be,” said n4a CEO Sandy Markwood. “Every day Area Agencies on Aging connect older adults in their communities to essential services that reflect the real and critical needs of older adults. And now, as these local agencies support older adults during COVID-19, the vital work they do to provide nutrition, address social isolation, and support the health and well-being of older adults through services and supports has come into the spotlight now more than ever.”
 
The report also describes the governance and structure of AAAs and provides insight into staffing, service areas, budgets and future workforce needs, as well as trends in funding. “Given the dramatic growth in the aging population coupled with the equally dramatic increasing need that AAAs are seeing among the older adults in their communities as a result of COVID-19, the need for increased funding for the vital services and supports that AAAs provide is and will continue to be amplified as communities around the country confront the realities of the pandemic” said Markwood.
 
As the population of older adults evolves along with the rest of the nation, AAAs have found innovative ways to adapt their services to meet the changing needs of a broader base of people in need in their communities. Whether this is through the expansion of their services to support people with disabilities, individuals living with dementia, grandparents raising grandchildren and other caregivers, or by developing partnerships with transportation agencies, hospitals and health care providers, as well as faith-based and other local organizations, AAAs find ways to help ensure the older adults in the communities they serve are able to live well at home and in the community.
 
Since they were established by the Older Americans Act in 1973, AAAs have risen to meet the needs of their communities. The AAA National Survey Report sheds light on the ways these agencies have respond to the needs of their communities through the development and delivery of much-needed services and supports.

About the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) is a 501(c)(3) membership association representing America's national network of 622 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and providing a voice in the nation's capital for the more than 250 Title VI Native American aging programs. The mission of n4a is to build the capacity of its members so they can better help older adults and people with disabilities live with dignity and choices in their homes and communities for as long as possible. n4a.org.

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