Congress on Wednesday passed a stopgap spending bill that will keep the government funded after Sept. 30. But even though lawmakers avoided a government shutdown, there’s another end-of-the-month deadline they’ve largely ignored: the expiration of the foundational aging and disabilities law, known as the OAA.
The OAA helps provide home- and community-based social care services that improve the lives, dignity, safety, and well-being of older adults. A reauthorization bill passed a Senate committee this summer, but further progress has stalled. If Congress does not finalize the OAA bill before or during next year’s omnibus bill, critical funding for the supportive services older adults rely on will be jeopardized.
Congress’ delay in reauthorizing the OAA is concerning for many reasons, but a key concern is the need to address heightened weather risks among seniors, especially those posed by extreme heat. In the United States, where heat waves are the number one cause of weather-related deaths, seniors account for more than 80% of heatstroke deaths. And the heat is only getting more intense; this summer was the hottest in Earth’s history. As heatwaves get worse, heatstroke deaths among seniors have increased 88% in recent years. If action isn’t taken, more seniors will die.
OAA services (such as home-delivered meals, transportation, medication reminders, health and wellness programs, caregiver support, and general home assistance) are critical to helping older adults manage health and social conditions that may increase their heat risk, such as chronic illnesses and social isolation. These resources are especially important for the more than four in 10 older adults with disabilities, who face additional barriers and higher health risks in the face of heat threats. For example, extreme heat can exacerbate cognitive impairments, resulting in increased sensitivity to heat. People with Alzheimer’s disease are 8% more likely to die on a hot day. Mobility issues can limit access to safe shelters or public cooling centers during heat events, exposing them to dangerous indoor temperatures. Additionally, older adults with hearing or vision impairments may not receive heat alerts in an accessible way.
But extending current programs is not enough. OAA needs to go further. Increased federal support from OAA will allow the nation’s network of seniors and people with disabilities, which serves more than 11 million seniors and their families, to be better leveraged in heat risk reduction. OAA service providers, such as senior centers, community groups, and state and local agencies, can provide heat safety education, monitor for signs of heat illness, and ensure safe transportation to cooling centers. Already trusted messengers, OAA service providers can also help seniors take advantage of groundbreaking federal investments, such as programs supported by the Inflation Control Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. These new resources can help reduce heat risks for seniors, for example, through free or low-cost weatherization services that can improve the energy efficiency of homes and save money.
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However, since 2014, OAA funding has not kept up with the demand for services. The population of U.S. adults age 60 and older covered by OAA programs has grown 29% since then, yet inflation-adjusted OAA funding has declined by $170 million. This shortfall creates critical gaps in access to existing health and social services, with little room to adapt to the growing and urgent need for climate-related supports. Congress should maximize the potential of this critical infrastructure to improve the climate resilience of older adults by clarifying the role of climate preparedness in OAA programs (such as using the Home Retrofit Program for Weatherization Services) and increasing OAA funding through reauthorization to expand service capacity.
Markeesha Johns is associate director for public health policy at the Center for American Progress. Casey Dougherty is a policy analyst with the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress.
