For decades, the Older Americans Act (OAA) has provided essential support for seniors yet, one major issue remains unaddressed: loneliness. Despite growing awareness of social isolation’s health risks, the OAA does not currently fund programs specifically targeting loneliness. That’s where the newly introduced Safeguarding Elderly Needs through Innovation and Occupational Resources (SENIOR) comes in.
First, some background to the OAA. The Older American Act (OAA) was first passed in 1965, under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society Initiative, which was a series of domestic liberal policies passed to end poverty and racial injustice. Johnson’s administration passed the OAA to extend these social services to the elderly, promising broad policy objectives to improve the quality of living through retirement financial assistance, long-term care services, and better mental and physical health.
The fundamental objectives of the OAA promise that “the older people of our Nation are entitled to, and it is the joint and several duty and responsibility of the governments of the United States . . . to assist our older people to secure equal opportunity to the full and free enjoyment of” the benefits including: adequate income in retirement, healthy and honorable retirement, and the best possible mental and physical health
In 2023, the OAA received $2.378 billion to fund “supportive services, congregate nutrition services (i.e., meals served at group sites such as senior centers, community centers, schools, churches, or senior housing complexes), home-delivered nutrition services, family caregiver support, the long-term care ombudsman program, and services to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons” (Older Americans Act: Overview and Funding). For example, the OAA-funded nutrition program Meals on Wheels is especially popular as it delivers meals to elderly individuals at their homes who are unable to produce or buy their own food, with 100% of all deliveries providing social opportunity (Meals on Wheels Fact Sheets).
Notably, the OAA does not actually allow for grants directly towards addressing loneliness; services that combat loneliness are not yet considered “disease prevention and health promotion services” (Older Americans Act of 1965). Therefore, in May 2024, Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced the Social Engagement and Network Initiatives for Older Relief (SENIOR) Act, which would “allow states to provide OAA grants to programs that are tackling loneliness, such as the foster grandparent program or Meals on Wheels” (Sorbe). It also requires the Administration for Community Living (part of the US Department of Health and Services that supports aging and disabled populations) “to provide technical assistance on implementing initiatives addressing loneliness” and mandates “a report on the impacts of loneliness on seniors and propose solutions for identified impacts, including an analysis of the relationship between the strength of multigenerational family units and loneliness in seniors” (Sorbe). Support for this bipartisan bill will significantly enhance initiatives, such as those espoused by Area Agencies on Aging, to improve social opportunities for the elderly nationwide. This federal funding will be especially needed in rural areas, as local sources are scarce.