This week, President Obama signed into law the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA), which expired in 2011. The OAA was originally signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in July 1965, and for more than 50 years, it has provided the nation with programs that allow millions of older Americans to continue living and thriving in the communities of their choice for as long as possible.

Through a national network of aging services and funding, the OAA offers a wide range of supports that help older adults maintain their independence and dignity, including home-delivered and congregate meals, caregiver support, preventive health services, transportation, job training, and elder abuse prevention.

According to the Administration for Community Living (ACL), “Today the OAA is considered to be the major vehicle for the organization and delivery of social and nutrition services to this group and their caregivers. It authorizes a wide array of service programs through a national network of 56 State agencies on aging, 629 area agencies on aging, nearly 20,000 service providers, 244 Tribal organizations, and 2 Native Hawaiian organizations representing 400 Tribes.”