DeLauro Statement Celebrating 50th Anniversary of the Older Americans Act

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement today in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Older Americans Act.

“Today we celebrate the Older Americans Act’s triumphs in ensuring our nation’s elders have access to health and nutrition services, independence, and fulfillment. America’s older citizens are an integral part of our society. They have lived full lives and through home-delivered meals, transportation services, support of caregivers, nutrition programs and a myriad of other services, the OAA enables them to continue to do so. At the core of OAA is a multi-pronged approach to bettering the lives of elders. OAA recognizes that providing services for communities, caregivers and families is just as pertinent to older Americans’ quality of life as direct support of the elders themselves. In 2013 in Connecticut alone, over 20 million older Americans and their caregivers received home-delivered and congregate meals.

“With one in every seven Americans an older American, the need to persevere in protecting our elders is indelible. Fifty years after the establishment of the OAA, we must not only relish in our successes, but also look toward future strategies to enhance the lives of older Americans.”

July 14th, the fiftieth Anniversary of the Older Americans Act, marks the beginning of a month celebrating senior citizens and the legislative measures—including Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security—taken to protect them.


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