[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 4, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1471-S1472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SUPPORTING OLDER AMERICANS ACT OF 2020

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, last night the Senate unanimously passed 
my legislation, the Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020. I developed 
this important legislation with Senator Bob Casey, who serves as the 
ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee, which I chair, to 
reauthorize and strengthen the landmark Older Americans Act. A 
bipartisan group of 24 Senators cosponsored this reauthorization, and 
128 national organizations endorsed it. I rise today to commend this 
bipartisan achievement that will ensure that vital services for our 
seniors continue and are strengthened.
  Since 1965, the Older Americans Act has helped to ensure that 
millions of seniors receive the support they need to age independently 
and with dignity. Administered by the Administration for Community 
Living, the Older Americans Act authorizes an array of services through 
a network of 56 State units on aging and more than 600 area agencies on 
aging, serving more than 10 million Americans throughout the Nation 
each year. OAA programs provide nutritious food, transportation, 
assistance to caregivers, and in-home services for older adults. These 
investments foster a sense of community for older adults and save 
taxpayers money by reducing hospitalizations and the need for long-term 
residential care.
  As our population ages, demand for Older Americans Act services has 
grown. Our legislation extends OAA programs for 5 years and provides 
increased investments to meet growing demands. For example, one 
hallmark OAA program is Meals on Wheels. Last year, this home-delivered 
nutrition program provided seniors with 358 million meals. In many 
States, however, the need is soaring. In Maine, there is a waitlist of 
400 to 1,500 people, depending on the time of the year and the location 
in our State. That is why it is so important that this bill helps to 
ensure that more seniors in need of nutritious food can be served 
through important programs such as Meals on Wheels.
  At $11 a day, a meal is far cheaper than the $2,400 average cost of a 
hospital stay. Using Older Americans Act dollars, the Southern Maine 
Agency on Aging conducted a pilot study that provided seniors 
discharged from the hospital with 4 weeks' worth of food. The results 
were astounding--hospital readmissions were reduced by 38 percent--a 
387-percent return on investment. On a national scale, the savings 
would be an astronomical $51 billion annually.
  Our legislation also includes several provisions to combat social 
isolation, which can have devastating health effects, particularly on 
older adults who are already vulnerable.
  As the executive director of the Eastern Maine Area Agency on Aging, 
Dyan Walsh, said, The Older Americans Act is a great victory for the 
aging services network and those we serve. There are many important 
provisions in the bill, not the least of which is the focus on research 
to study the negative consequences of social isolation and loneliness 
which impacts so many rural older adults. We look to the future with a 
renewed focus to integrate innovative

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strategies that will advance our mission to support communities and 
those who are the most vulnerable.
  The Older Americans Act is a shining example of a Federal policy that 
works. Every $1 invested into the Older Americans Act generates $3 by 
helping seniors stay at home through low-cost, community-based 
services. I thank the dozens of stakeholders we have worked with over 
the past several months to reauthorize and strengthen OAA, including 
the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, AARP, the National 
Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the National Alliance for 
Caregiving, Meals on Wheels America, the National Association of 
Counties, and the Alzheimer's Association. I ask unanimous consent to 
have these letters of support printed in the Record at the end of my 
remarks.
  I urge my colleagues in the House to support this important 
reauthorization so that we can swiftly send it to the President's desk 
to get signed into law.

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