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91_SJ0039
LRB9106949SMdv
1 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The Older Americans Act promotes the dignity and
3 value of every older person age 60 and over (numbering
4 2,000,000 in Illinois) through an Aging Network led by the
5 Illinois Department on Aging, 13 area agencies on aging, 233
6 community based senior service agencies, and 63 nutrition
7 services agencies throughout Illinois; and
8 WHEREAS, The Older Americans Act is a successful federal
9 program, with the U.S. Administration on Aging offering
10 leadership in Washington, D.C., the Illinois Department on
11 Aging (the first state department on aging in the nation) at
12 the State level, the area agencies on aging in 13 regions
13 designated by the State covering all of Illinois, and
14 community based senior service agencies providing services in
15 every community; and
16 WHEREAS, The Older Americans Act programs target
17 resources and services to those in greatest economic and
18 social need, promote the dignity and contributions of our
19 senior citizens, support transportation services, provide
20 home care, assist families and individuals with case
21 management, guide those challenged by the legal system
22 through legal assistance, provide for senior community
23 service employment, offer information and assistance,
24 establish multi-purpose senior centers as focal points on
25 aging, serve congregate luncheon and home delivered meals,
26 provide health promotion and disease prevention activities,
27 involve older persons in nutrition education, reach out to
28 families with respite services for caregivers and small
29 repair and home modifications, provide opportunities,
30 education, and services, connect people in shared housing,
31 and advocate to public and private policy makers on the
32 issues of importance to older persons; and
-2- LRB9106949SMdv
1 WHEREAS, The success of this aging network over the past
2 31 years is marked by the delivery of significant service to
3 older persons in their own homes and community with the
4 following services examples of that success:
5 (1) 374,538 recipients of access services, including
6 235,148 Information and Assistance Services clients and
7 68,493 recipients of Case Management Services;
8 (2) 53,450 recipients of in-home services, including
9 6,460,533 home delivered meals to 41,305 elders;
10 (3) 185,520 recipients of community services, including
11 3,636,855 meals to 79,012 congregate meal participants at 647
12 nutrition sites and services delivered from 170 Senior
13 Centers;
14 (4) 760 recipients of employment services, including 760
15 senior community service employment program participants; and
16 (5) 98,600 recipients of nursing home ombudsman
17 services; and
18 WHEREAS, The organizations serving older persons employ
19 professionals dedicated to offering the highest level of
20 service and caring workers who every day provide in-home
21 care, rides, educational and social activities, shopping
22 assistance, advice, and hope to those in greatest isolation
23 and need; and
24 WHEREAS, The organizations serving older persons involve
25 a multi-generational corps of volunteers who contribute to
26 the governance, planning, and delivery of services to older
27 persons in their own communities through participation on
28 boards and advisory councils and in the provision of clerical
29 support, programming, and direct delivery of service to
30 seniors; and
31 WHEREAS, The Older Americans Act programs in Illinois
32 leverage local funding for aging services and encourage
33 contributions from older persons; and
-3- LRB9106949SMdv
1 WHEREAS, The Older Americans Act programs are the
2 foundation for the Illinois Community Care Program which
3 reaches out to those with the lowest incomes and greatest
4 frailty to provide alternatives to long term care, and the
5 Illinois Elder Abuse and Neglect Interventions Program which
6 assists families in the most difficult of domestic situations
7 with investigation and practical interventions; and
8 WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States has not
9 reauthorized the Older Americans Act since 1995 and only
10 extends the program each year through level appropriations;
11 and
12 WHEREAS, Expansion of the Older Americans Act is proposed
13 in reauthorization legislation this year to offer family
14 caregiver support, increased numbers of home delivered meals,
15 improved promotion of elder rights, consolidation of several
16 programs and sub-titles of the law; therefore, be it
17 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIRST GENERAL
18 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF
19 REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the Congress
20 of the United States of America to reauthorize the Older
21 Americans Act this year; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
23 delivered to the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate,
24 the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and each
25 member of the Illinois congressional delegation.