Since March, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has experienced major reorganization and staffing reductions, sparking concerns about the future of the Older Americans Act (OAA). One in six older adults are supported by the Older Americans Act. Enacted in 1965, the OAA provides community-based social service programs for seniors, including but not limited to transportation services, nutrition services, and caregiver support.
President Trump’s proposed HHS FY 2026 budget specifies level funding without any increases for Older Americans Act programs and services, but will make it more difficult for staff to administer these services, as it calls for permanently dismantling the Administration for Community Living (ACL) – which oversees and funds services outlined by the OAA. The ACL will be dissolved and its responsibilities would be integrated into the newly created Administration for Children, Families, and Communities (ACFC).
Though Congress has not yet determined whether funding for the former ACL will be decreased or not, the future of these programs is highly tenuous due to this massive reorganization.
The post HHS Restructuring Disrupts Services for Older Americans appeared first on Retired Americans.