[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 14, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1066]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT 50TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 14, 2015

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of 
the Older Americans Act 50th Anniversary. Originally passed in 1965, 
the Older Americans Act ensures that older individuals and their 
caregivers have access to a wide array of services. Aside from 
Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, services such as community-
based care, meal delivery, health prevention programs, and elder rights 
protection are just a few of the many vital programs that the Older 
Americans Act provides.
  The population age 65 and over increased by 24.7 percent between 2003 
and 2013 and the number of individuals in need of aging programs 
continues to rise. Nearly 50 million older Americans and Americans with 
disabilities rely on Medicare coverage and more than 70 million 
individuals depend on Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance 
Program for their health care needs. Nearly 42 million Americans 
receive Social Security retirement benefits and for 6 out of 10 
seniors, Social Security provides most of their income. I strongly 
believe in solvent Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security systems that 
give older Americans the security they need.
  As for the impact of the community and social services provided by 
the Older Americans Act, the aging network serves an average of 11 
million people each year. For example, over a five year period, 130 
million rides to doctors' offices, grocery stores, and other locations 
were provided. More than 1 billion meals were served and 95 percent of 
those served would recommend the nutrition program. Nearly 20 million 
hours of case management, over 60 million hours of homemaker services, 
and more than 30 million hours of respite care were provided, helping 
older adults continue to live in their own homes. Through the Senior 
Community Service Employment Program, more than 200,000 participants 
provided almost 248 million hours of community service, effectively 
allowing seniors to give back to their community.
  As the Baby Boomer Generation enters the 65 and over age bracket and 
the average life expectancy lengthens, it is clear that we cannot 
afford a shortage of services. As we celebrate the Older Americans Act 
50th Anniversary, we must also keep in mind that these services often 
end up on the chopping block. On this historic day, I hope that we can 
all work together to find ways to continue to provide these vital 
services to our older Americans.

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