News from ECIAAA

News from Capitol Hill

On April 22-23, Deputy Director & Chief Financial Officer Susan Redman and I joined other Area Agencies on Aging from across the nation for the 19^th Annual n4a Aging Policy Briefing & Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C.  We heard from top aging policy experts from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Administration for Community Living (ACL), congressional staffers, and advocacy organizations.  They covered a wide range of issues including the federal budget, health care reforms, Older Americans Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and much more.

Keynote speaker Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging and Administrator of the Administration for Community Living, delivered a motivating speech on the value of the Aging Network and the importance of engaging key decision makers on Capitol Hill with education and information about the value proposition the Aging Network offers government budgets and older Americans.

While you “just had to be there” to gain the full value of the Briefing, you can find selected speaker presentation slides and photos online at:

www.n4a.org/advocacy/aging-policy-briefing/index.cfm

Susan and I met with legislative staff at the offices of U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk, and Congressmen Rodney Davis (R-13), John Shimkus (R-15), Adam Kinzinger (R-16), and Aaron Schock (R-18).  Over the next few months, ECIAAA will be sharing our stories with Members of Congress about the impact of community programs on aging on the lives of older Americans, persons with disabilities, and their families.  Please send your stories to me at: JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING . 

Working together we can reauthorize the older Americans Act, increase OAA appropriations, and strengthen Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for a growing population of older adults and persons with disabilities.

Thank you.

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We have just published our Summary of the Proposed Amendments of the Area Plan Public Information Document for Fiscal Year 2014.  Please feel to read over it and join us at one of our Public Hearings.  The dates and locations are below: 

April 29, 2013, 1:00 p.m., Decatur Macon County Senior Center, 1430 N. 22nd Street, Decatur, IL.

April 30, 2013, 1:00 p.m., LifeSpan Center, 11021 E. County Road 800 N., Charleston, IL

May 1, 2013, 10:00 a.m., CRIS Healthy-Aging Center, 309 N. Franklin, Danville, IL

May 1, 2013, 2:00 p.m., Iroquois Co. Administrative Center, 1001 E. Grant St., NE Meeting Rm., Watseka, IL

May 2, 2013, 10:00 a.m., Champaign Public Library, 200 W. Green St., Champaign, IL

May 3, 2013, 10:00 a.m., East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging, 1003 Maple Hill Rd., Bloomington, IL

The Public Hearings will present information about national, state and local initiatives, including:

●          Developing an Aging and Disability Resource Center Network in Area 05;

●          Integrating evidence-based, healthy-aging interventions in programs and services for seniors;

●          Developing and sustaining innovative transportation services for older adults in rural areas;

●          Implementing Coordinated Care for persons enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid; and

●          Reauthorizing the Older Americans Act.

The Public Hearings will provide information about the Area Agency on Aging’s proposed plans, budget, funding formula, and priorities for community-based services for older adults and family caregivers, including: Coordinated Points of Entry/Senior Information Services, Transportation, Congregate Meals, Home Delivered Meals, Individual Needs Assessments, Legal Assistance, Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs, Counseling, Medication Management, Caregiver Advisory Services, Respite Care, the Elder Abuse & Neglect Program, the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, and the Senior Employment Specialist Program.

For more information contact Mike O’Donnell at (309) 829-6018, ext. 211 or e-mail:  JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING .

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