Older Americans Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, as the chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and as the cosponsor of the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, I also commend the chairman and the ranking member of the HELP Committee for their hard work over the past 2 years in developing a bipartisan consensus bill to reauthorize and strengthen the Older Americans Act. It is my hope that the Senate later today will unanimously pass this important legislation.

The programs authorized by the Older Americans Act are tremendously important in the State of Maine and across the country. Maine is the oldest State by median age in the entire country. Probably, if I asked most of my colleagues, they would guess it was Florida, but in fact it is the State of Maine.

Maine's network of five area agencies on aging provides invaluable supports and services to more than 100,000 seniors living in my State.

In just the past few months, I have received almost 700 letters from seniors across Maine urging that we pass the reauthorization bill. I look forward to letting my constituents know that the Senate soon will do just that.

While funding has been provided on a continuing basis through the appropriations process, the fact is that legislation reauthorizing the Older Americans Act is long overdue. The authorization expired in 2011.

It is particularly significant that the Senate pass this legislation this month, for July marks the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act.

This law funds critical services in communities across our Nation that help to keep our older adults healthy and independent. Its funding supports some of the most vital and successful Federal programs for our Nation's seniors.

Nearly 12 million older Americans receive services through this law, such services as Meals on Wheels, senior centers, transportation, legal services, and caregiver support.

Moreover, these programs are operated through a national network of area agencies on aging that stresses local decisionmaking regarding what services are most needed for older adults in a particular community. It is a flexible program that allows local needs to be met.

Older Americans Act programs also help to relieve the financial pressure on the Medicare and Medicaid Programs, because they help seniors to stay healthy, independent, and living right where they want to be--in the comfort, security, and privacy of their own homes.

AARP's surveys consistently reflect the fact that aging in place is the preferred option for seniors who want to continue to live independently and avoid expensive nursing home and other institutionalized care as long as possible.

This bill also includes important provisions to strengthen the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and to help protect our vulnerable seniors from financial exploitation and abuse. Financial exploitation of our seniors is a growing epidemic that cost them an estimated $2.9 billion in 2010. It is so disturbing that in 90 percent of these cases, the financial exploitation abuse is perpetrated by a family member, a trusted individual, a caregiver--someone whom the senior knows well. The Aging Committee has held hearings to highlight this issue, and the bill that will be coming before the Senate later today will take steps to strengthen the Federal response to this growing problem.

Of course passage by the Senate, while an essential step, is not the final step in reauthorizing this significant law. I look forward to continuing to work with the chairman, the ranking member, and our colleagues here and in the House to make the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act a reality this year. And how wonderful would it be if it could be a reality this month, which marks the 50th anniversary of this significant law.

I thank the Presiding Officer and yield the floor.

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