[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 23, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1376]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REAUTHORIZE THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 1999

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, recently in my home state of Illinois, the 
State Senate and the State House of Representatives adopted Senate 
Joint Resolution 39 urging the U.S. Congress to reauthorize the Older 
Americans Act for the upcoming fiscal year. I would like to commend the 
Illinois Legislature for their dedication to the elderly in their state 
and urge the 106th Congress to support the elderly of the country by 
reauthorizing the Older Americans Act. I enter into the Record Senate 
Joint Resolution No. 39.

       Whereas, The Older Americans Act promotes the dignity and 
     value of every older person age 60 and over (numbering 
     2,000,000 in Illinois) through an Aging Network led by the 
     Illinois Department of Aging, 13 area agencies on aging, 233 
     community-based senior service agencies and 63 nutrition 
     services agencies throughout Illinois; and
       Whereas, The Older Americans Act is a successful federal 
     program, with the U.S. Administration on Aging offering 
     leadership in Washington D.C., the Illinois Department on 
     Aging (the first state department on aging in the nation) at 
     the State level, the area agencies on aging in 13 regions 
     designated by the State covering all of Illinois, and 
     community-based senior service agencies providing services in 
     every community; and
       Whereas, The Older Americans Act programs target resources 
     and services to those in greatest economic and social need, 
     promote the dignity and contributions of our senior citizens, 
     support transportation services, provide home care, assist 
     families and individuals with case management, guide those 
     challenged by the legal system through legal assistance, 
     provide for senior community service employment, offer 
     information and assistance, establish multi-purpose senior 
     centers as focal points on aging, serve congregate luncheon 
     and home-delivered meals, provide health promotion and 
     disease prevention activities, involve older persons in 
     nutrition education, reach out to families with respite 
     services for caregivers and small repair and home 
     modifications, provide opportunities, education and services, 
     connect people in shared housing, and advocate to public and 
     private policy makers on the issues of importance to older 
     persons; and
       Whereas, The success of this aging network over the past 31 
     years is marked by the delivery of significant service to 
     older persons in their own homes and community with the 
     following services examples of that success:
       (1) 374,538 recipients of access services, including 
     235,148 Information and Assistance Services clients and 
     68,493 recipients of Case Management Services;
       (2) 53,450 recipients of in-home services, including 
     6,460,533 home-delivered means to 41,305 elders;
       (3) 185,520 recipients of community services, including 
     3,636,855 meals to 79,012 congregate meal participants at 647 
     nutrition sites and services delivered from 170 Senior 
     Centers;
       (4) 760 recipients of employment services, including 760 
     senior community service employment program participants; and
       (5) 98,600 recipients of nursing home ombudsman services; 
     and
       Whereas, The organizations serving older persons employ 
     professionals dedicated to offering the highest level of 
     service and caring workers who every day provide in-home 
     care, rides, educational and social activities, shopping 
     assistance, advice, and hope to those in greatest isolation 
     and need; and
       Whereas, The organizations serving older persons involve a 
     multi-generational corps of volunteers who contribute the 
     governance, planning, and delivery of services to older 
     persons in their own communities through participation on 
     boards and advisory councils and in the provision of clerical 
     support, programming, and direct delivery of service to 
     seniors; and
       Whereas, The Older Americans Act programs in Illinois 
     leverage local funding for aging services and encourage 
     contributions from older persons; and
       Whereas, The Older Americans Act programs are the 
     foundation for the Illinois Community Care Program which 
     reaches out to those with the lowest incomes and the greatest 
     frailty to provide alternatives to long-term care, and the 
     Illinois Elder Abuse and Neglect Interventions Program which 
     assists families in the most difficult of domestic situations 
     with investigation and practical interventions; and
       Whereas, The Congress of the United States has not 
     reauthorized the Older Americans Act since 1985 and only 
     extends the program each year through level appropriations; 
     and
       Whereas, Expansion of the Older Americans Act is proposed 
     in reauthorization legislation this year to offer family 
     caregiver support, increased numbers of home-delivered meals, 
     improved promotion of elder rights, consolidation of several 
     programs and subtitles of the law; therefore be it
       Resolved, by the Senate of the Ninety-First General 
     Assembly of the State of Illinois, the House of 
     Representatives concurring herein, That we urge the Congress 
     of the United States of America to reauthorize the Older 
     Americans Act this year; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
     delivered to the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, 
     the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and each 
     member of the Illinois congressional delegation.
       Adopted by the Senate, May 26, 1999.
       Concurred in by the House of Representatives, May 27, 1999.

       

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