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Bob Wood Stop-Hunger Project Kick-Off Event
5/1/2012
Lunch party to honor Bob Wood's birthday
Kick-off of the Bob Wood Stop-Hunger Project
Allentown's 250th Anniversary
2012 Community Celebration
4/18/2012
Our Community Celebration is fast approaching! Join us May 22, 2012 from 5-7:30 p.m in University Center at DeSales University. Online registration now open!
Volunteer Opportunities at COMPASS Schools
4/12/2012
Click News Title for volunteer opportunities at COMPASS Community Schools.
 
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Older Adults Public Policy

Lehigh Valley Alliance on Aging recognizes that true systems change requires changes in the political/governmental systems as well as the social ones.  The LVAA Public Policy Committee works to inform local legislators about issues facing older adults.
 
In September 2008, The Lehigh Valley Alliance on Aging sent five representatives to visit members of Congress, in order to raise issues related to America’s Older Adults and those who work for them. The local representatives – who were among more than 100 aging network advocates to visit Congress – included:
  • George Treisner, Jr., Lehigh Valley Alliance on Aging (LVAA) chair, PSEA, and member of United Way’s local Board.
  • Arlene J. Lund, senior director of community impact, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and lead staff, Lehigh Valley Alliance on Aging.
  • John Mehler, director, Northampton County Area Agency on Aging.
  • Angela Velasquez, project manager, LVAA, lead staff, Public Policy Committee.
  • Donna Zimmerman, director, Lehigh County Office of Adult and Aging Services.
Our purpose that day was to speak directly to our elected officials about the significant shortfall in funding for the Older Americans Act (OAA) programs, which help our older adults stay healthy and independent, and urged Congress to increase appropriations for OAA.
 
Total appropriations for all OAA programs in Fiscal Year 2007 (ending September 30, 2007) is $1.87 billion, about the same as in FY02.  The money goes to two agencies: 
  • $483 million to the Department of Labor for SCSEP, and 
  • $1.4 billion to the Administration on Aging for all other programs.
  • Older American Act funding supports the following local programs for older adults:
  • Meals on Wheels, 
  • Congregate meals, 
  • Senior center services, 
  • Transportation, 
  • Support for family caregivers, 
  • Home and community services, 
  • Health promotion, 
  • Disease prevention, and
  • Community service employment for low-income older workers
The impact of flat funding from the Older Americans Act is staggering for older adults in the Lehigh Valley. According to our Area Agencies on Aging, it means potential waiting lists at Meals On Wheels, decreased opportunities to participate at senior centers, unmet needs for transportation to physicians and other healthcare providers, waiting lists for family caregivers who are struggling, in some cases, to keep their loved one at home and need assistance with out of pocket costs of care giving.  Flat funding also means long waiting lists for help in the home with such tasks as bathing and laundry, as well as unmet needs for respite for caregivers, and fewer opportunities for low income older adults to utilize community service employment.
 
Beyond our 2008 meetings, the LVAA continues to meet with local legislators, discussing issues of concern to older adults in the Lehigh Valley.