(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) - You may not be familiar with the Older Americans Act, but millions of people, 60 and older, across the country rely on it every day.

From meals to health and wellness, the Act funds a lot of programs for seniors here in Central Illinois.

Susan Real, executive director of the East Central Illinois Area on Aging, and Tessa Mahoney, with the Central Illinois Agency on Aging, are here to tell us why funding for the Act could be at risk, and what that means.

Ladies, thanks for coming in, appreciate it.

- Thank you.

- Thank you for having us.

- We've got a lot to talk about today.

First of all, I wanna talk about your organizations, different names, but you do the same thing, but you cover different areas.

So, Susan, tell us about the areas you cover.

- So, East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging, created in 1971, we cover, I won't name all the counties, but we cover the Bloomington-Normal area, Pontiac, all the way to the Indiana border, and then south to Paris, Illinois, and Toledo, and Marshall, and then back west to Shelbyville, Decatur, and then all the way back up to Bloomington.

So our main metro areas, think of this: Bloomington-Normal, Champaign, Urbana, Danville, and Decatur.

- Okay, and Tessa, you cover here in Peoria?

- We cover here in Peoria and the five surrounding counties.

- Okay, very good.

So, I know that you've been around for a while.

Tell us a little bit about what the agency does.

- So the Area Agencies on Aging, authorized under the Older Americans Act we'll be talking about in a little bit, but our mission is to plan, and coordinate, and fund, and develop new programs, and support existing programs to support older adults, 60 years of age and older, across the nation, with services that'll enable them to stay at home for as long as possible.

That could be community support services, nutrition services, some transportation services in certain areas, and we also provide caregiver support services, or funding for caregiver support services that serve not only informal, non-paid family caregivers, but there's a lot of them, and grandparents raising grandchildren.

- So your organizations are basically the arm of the Older Americans Act.

Okay, so let's talk about the Older Americans Act.

I know that it was enacted in 1965.

Can you tell us a little bit more about why it was enacted, and kind of what that all entails?

- So it was conceived and implemented in 1965 during the Great Society years, and we were enacted about the same time, same year, as Medicare, so we rub shoulders with a wonderful program serving older adults, but we are much smaller.

The Older Americans Act was designed to provide those community-based services more in a grassroots way that provide the support to an older adult to remain independent with dignity, give them the support that they need to continue to remain independent, and how do you do that.

And so with that, we have certain program titles, like support services, such as helping someone with a Medicare application, Medicare Part D application, helping someone apply for SNAP benefits.

That whole assistance piece is a big part of what we do, and we serve a larger number of older adults in that area.

And then our nutrition program, we have a congregate program where there's meals being provided in a community setting, like a senior center, or the home-delivered meal program, which has grown exponentially over the years.

And so that is another core service that we provide.

I mentioned the caregiver services, it's a set of core services, legal services to older adults, and then we also, more recently, focused in on evidence-based healthy aging.

Think of helping an older adult become, or build their strength, so that they are (indistinct).

We give them skills to prevent falls.

It's, you know, it's a opportunity to learn really healthy aging skills, evidence-based programs such as diabetes, self-management, that's also another set of core services that we provide So the Older Americans Act designated area agencies to be very regional.

We are not under the thumb of a particular party, or a governor, We are, most of us in Illinois, 99% of us in Illinois, are actually not-for-profit organizations, so the Area Agencies on Aging is governed by a local board of directors, so we have board of directors from all of our region, representing all of our counties, and we are also advised by what we call an advisory council, and they give us input in terms of what's working and how its working in terms of service delivery.

So we've always been... Area agencies, our mission, and we're proud of it, have been the spokesperson for the older adult at the grassroots level, not being dictated to as to what the older adult needs from higher above.

It's grassroots, and we're mandated to do that.

- So, Tessa, out of all the services that Susan mentioned, what are some of the more popular or sought-after ones in your area?

- Sure, so I think that home-delivered meals is a significant program.

There are a lot of older adults who utilize the service in our service area, so I know that there's definitely a demand for home-delivered meals because of the wellness check that involves somebody delivering that meal to their door, so that social connection piece.

And then information and assistance.

I think being the hub for aging, we get a lot of phone calls about, "Hey, I'm having trouble navigating the system.

Can you help?"

And of course, we wanna be the experts on aging, and as area agencies, we really serve as the backbone for the aging network when helping older adults connect to those services and resources within our community.

- I'd like to add, also, that we're, as the area agencies on aging and the like, and you said it so well, Tessa, we're the hub of aging services, we are that regional hub.

We also are recognized as a leader in terms of identifying trends in services and responding to what the trends are.

Also, we're responsible, and the leader, in terms of identifying gaps in services, what an older adult is missing in their area in terms of receiving services.

So we have the authority and the flexibility to respond to those kinds of local needs, and be that leader, and plan for those services.

I just wanted to add that, because that's a very - Sure.

- key part.

- And I'm curious about the home food delivery.

I think most people think about Meals on Wheels as the term there.

- Yeah, that's right, it is, mm-hmm.

- but I'm curious, with those folks, is it A, they can't leave their home, or it's very difficult to leave their home, B, they're having financial troubles, or C, all of the above?

- All of the above, yeah.

- Yeah.

I would agree with that - Is that what you see?

- Yes, absolutely.

- Yeah.

Yeah, it's designed to provide nutrition, and again, healthy nutrition, evidence of that over and over again, for the home-bound, but there are circumstances where if that older adult really demonstrates the need, the home-delivered meal program, who does the official assessment, will, you know, allow that to happen, because we wanna look at the older adult in a comprehensive, holistic way.

- [Tessa] Absolutely.

- Well, one of the things I know that you're concerned about is funding that you get, and you recently had a day where you got the message out there to folks that your funding may be in danger.

First of all, let's talk about the funding that you get and where it comes from.

- So the Older Americans Act is the authorizing legislation that allows the area agencies on aging to do what they do.

Federal Act, again, signed in 1965, we're celebrating that birthday this year, on July 14th.

So with that, those federal funds include what we call our Title III-B funding.

That supports the information and assistance program, or legal services programs.

It is what they call community-based stream of funding.

And then our Title III-C is our nutrition program, so that's where the congregate meals and home-delivered meals funding comes from.

And then we have Title III-D, which is the evidence-based healthy aging programs, and Title III-E, which is our caregiver support program.

So we look at it from those four categories, and we operate from there, but those four categories that, and again, are authorizing funding, then as they flow through our state unit on aging and come to the area agencies on aging, then we recognize that there isn't enough funding to be able to really respond to the demand, and the home-delivered meal program is an example.

We only get about $23 million in federal home-delivered meal funding to the State of Illinois, through the Older Americans Act.

The Illinois General Assembly, over the years, over the last 20-some years, maybe even longer, the Illinois General Assembly has invested in matching our home-delivered meal program at the state level, and again, you know, purpose of government, being able to make sure they respond to the needs of older adults, and they have stepped up to be able to do that.

They're already at about 50 million, 53 million, in state funding, so that shows you a federal-state comparison.

And we're unique in the nation.

Not every state has that kind of investment.

We also have, though, the Illinois General Assembly supporting and investing our family caregiver program, and that's added 70%, so that, too, is the support of the Illinois General Assembly helping us to keep going.

So in talking about the Older Americans Act, it is our basic authorized legislation to keep our funding flowing, it keeps us alive.

The state funding, though, helps tremendously, again, to address those needs, so any threat in any federal funding in the case of the Older Americans Act could dismantle our aging network in a very adverse way, where we couldn't continue providing the services under that state support.

- And it's my understanding that this is reconsidered every five years.

- So it's called reauthorization.

- Okay.

- And I always, I like to get this question, because the Older Americans Act, signed into law '65, but it's reviewed every four years, and Congress has reauthorized it.

We've had delays from time to time, when, we're currently in a delay, we've had delays to five years in the past, but it's always enjoyed bipartisan support, meaning both Houses in Congress, and Republicans and Democrats, have always supported the Older Americans Act because of its goals, its missions, and how effective we are, and that reauthorization updates the Act.

It doesn't mean because we're delayed in getting it reauthorized, doesn't mean it no longer is in effect, it's just not updated to address current trends.

And it doesn't, right now, have that bipartisan support because of the reauthorization's stalled.

So that is also an advocacy concern on our end.

We want... That is a priority of the area agencies nationally is to see that reauthorization happen.

There's a lot of interest in seeing it through.

However, there is movement in members of Congress wanting to take a better look at it, We always make the point that Older Americans Act funding that supports all the services provided through the area agencies is so important for us, because we couldn't do what we do because the Older Americans Act is the backbone of all these services, but also, we always need to remind Congress that for each dollar we receive under the Older Americans Act, we're able to leverage significant $2-3 at the state level, so federal funding actually leverages state funding, and our federal dollars leverages local funding, 'cause all of our providers are required to do fundraising to match the federal piece of the Older Americans Act.

So that, too, is one of those areas that we have to make sure members of Congress understand that there's such a local groundwork of support for the Older Americans Act, which, again, should support the continuation reauthorization of the Older Americans Act.

- So is the concern that it may be reauthorized, but maybe not for as much money, or maybe there is a small chance it wouldn't be reauthorized at all?

- So I will start that, but Tess certainly can join me.

So the way I characterize it, the reauthorization does have appropriations contained in it as an update, but the appropriations for the Older Americans Act has and always will be appropriated by Congress during the budgeting process through that negotiating process.

The reauthorization just shows goals and what the aging network needs to carry it out through that reauthorization process, which, it is okay to have those set goals, but when it comes down to actually negotiating the budget for the year, the Houses of Congress going through that process, that doesn't always follow what's being recommended, but it does give us a beacon, and gives us a way for us to advocate for additional funding through the budgeting process.

And the other thing, too, the Older Americans Act, we have to rely on an approved budget every single year.

It isn't a four-year extension, it is, we have to fight for every dollar for every year.

To answer your question regarding if it doesn't get reauthorized, we wanna always approach this that we are certain, you know, even in these uncertain times that we're hearing about and living currently, we are certain about the Older Americans Act, we are certain that its 60-year legacy will live on, and that it will eventually be reauthorized.

That's how we're approaching this, and not giving up.

- Yeah.

- Absolutely, I agree with what Susan said, and Susan has a lot of history with the aging network, so I trust her leadership on this, that it will be reauthorized.

- You've seen... How long have you been doing this now, Susan?

- 40 years.

- That's all?

Okay.

So have you, in your 40 years, I guess, have you seen years where, you know, you were a little worried that, you know, they're kicking the can down the road a little bit, or is this kind of as bad as you've seen it?

- This is as bad as I've ever seen it, and we lived through the budget impasse several years ago under the Rauner's administration where state funds were suspended, but those funds did flow, the home-delivered meal funds did flow a little in that process, but, so we went through that at the state level in terms of threatening funds to support older adults, but here at the federal level, to answer your question, Mark, in all my 40 years, this is as bad as it's ever been, and we're very, very concerned.

- What has got you concerned?

Is it something, specifically, that someone in the federal government has said?

Is it what they've done?

What's got you spooked?

- So there's many answers to that question.

As we're navigating the current fiscal year, '25, moving into, you know, preparing for fiscal year '26, there's just so many unknowns, so many uncertainties, that it's not clear, we're not being told exactly what is in the budget for the Older Americans Act for fiscal year '26.

All we can rely on is what's been, the budgeting process that's started through the skinny budget being proposed by the president, the administration, and it doesn't go in any detail, so, but we have learned that the administration, and DOGE, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, HHS, Secretary Kennedy, we have learned that they're signaling targeting our Title III-D program, our evidence-based health, our healthy aging programs, and eliminating that, and looking to target a slice of the Older Americans Act that supports the Ombudsman program, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, which is another big program that we support nationwide, that supports older adults who reside in long-term care facilities, residents in nursing homes.

It's an advocacy program that's been going on, as well, since 1973.

So that's the other title that's being targeted.

So those are, they're not certain, but those are the areas that we see at least kind of bubbling up as being that potential target, the first target.

Plus, we realized that once it starts, it may continue in terms of other areas, and as part of our advocacy through our "Don't blow out the candles," and our celebration of the Older Americans Act for 60 years, the Administration for Community Living, think of it as our federal beacon within the division, our Department of Health and Human Services, that oversees all of the Older Americans Act programs, that, already, under, again, the direction of the administration, DOGE, and the secretary, that Administration on Aging has been dismantled, So those titles I mentioned earlier, those Title III-B, the community based services, like information and assistance, and legal services, transportation services, they're being moved into the centers for Medicare and Medicaid, so they'll be administered, NGAs will be released through that division within HHS, and then the nutrition program, the Title III-C side of things, have been moved under the Administration for Children and Families, so our Administration for Community Living, that federal beacon that oversaw everything, now it's been split, and staff have been eliminated within that division, so it's already resulted in a bottleneck of releasing federal funds for fiscal year 2025, so that has already started.

So with all these unknowns and uncertainties, you know, to answer your question specifically, it's like we're just, we're just ready to respond to any threat to what we do as an area agency, and any threat to the Older Americans Act, 'cause we can see how that's gonna have a ripple effect.

- Tessa, you recently had, all the agencies recently had a day of advocacy.

- Yeah.

- Tell us about that, and how that went.

- Sure, so we had a day of advocacy where we acknowledged the 60 years of the Older Americans Act legislation, so we celebrated that, but we also discussed what the future could look like depending on that fiscal year '26 budget.

We really used our slides to educate the audience, and really asked them for a call to action, and said, "As individuals, can you please contact your local legislators and tell them why the Older Americans Act is important to you.

They need to hear your voice, they need to know that you rely on these services, and that if these services are not funded or supported, that it could mean not living in the community any longer, it could mean that they don't have the support they need."

Especially when we look at this from a holistic lens, to serve older adults, it costs $2,600 a year to pay for meals, home-delivered meals.

For one day of nursing home care, we're talking $2,700.

- Wow!

- So it is very much suggested that these services be funded if we just look at it from an economic standpoint of our funds going to support community living, which is where older adults want to be, anyways, and we talk about self-determination and autonomy, and supporting that.

We do that by funding these programs that allow older adults to stay in their homes.

- And just to put this in perspective, some numbers in fiscal year '24, 478,000 older adults, or 17% of Illinois' older adult population, received services, and so some of these numbers here are amazing.

Statewide, with none of that OAA money, the following services will be lost per month: That's about 183,000 home-delivered meals, almost 155 congregate meals, I mean, rides, 15,000, health screenings and education, 5,300.

There's a lot of services that you-all provide that hopefully, won't be taken away, but you have to look at those numbers.

It's pretty amazing.

- We do repeat those numbers pretty often, at the 478,000 older adults, just at, you know, almost a half a million in Illinois.

That gets people to understand the breadth of what we do, and if we were to look at those older adults, those almost 50,000 older adults in Illinois, facing potential nursing home admission, or other type of long-term care settings, that would be a significant loss to those older adults.

And that's how we look at it, too, but we average, we think our programs actually keep individuals in the community, out of nursing homes, 25%, and so that kind of an impact is clearly communicated, regularly, with our lawmakers at both levels, the congress level as well as the state level, because we're like the best-kept secret, Area Agencies on Aging, the Older Americans Act.

They hear so much about Social Security, and hear so much about Medicare, they hear, you know, about the community care program, like here in the State of Illinois, but the Older Americans Act programs, and you can see there's many of them, but they're wrap-around, and they really, really provide that support, that tangible, viable, reliable support in so many areas.

They keep that older adult in their home, in the community, where they want to be.

- One of those important services that you may not think about until you need it, - That's right.

or someone you love does.

Ladies, unfortunately, we're out of time.

Where can people find out more about your services?

Is the website the best or... - Yeah.

- Yes, absolutely.

- And we can, we...

The il4a.org is probably the best website, or you can reach us at www.eciaaa.org.

And Tess, do you have a quick number to share?

- [Tessa] Yeah, absolutely.

So we also have a website, it's www.ciaoa.net, or you can give us a call at 309-674-2071.

- All right, ladies, thanks for the information.

and it's very interesting to see what you've been doing the last 60 years, and, not you two, personally, but what's happened with this Act the last 60 years, and we'll keep following this story.

- Yeah.

- Thanks for your time.

- Thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

- All right, and thank you for joining us.

You can catch us anytime at wtvp.org.

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Have a good night.

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