Letter to Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader; Charles Schumer, Senate Minority Leader; Richard Shelby, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee; and Patrick Leahy, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee - Collins, Gillibrand Lead Bipartisan Call for Funding for OAA Programs In Next COVID-19 Package to Help Older Adults

Letter

Dear Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Chairman Shelby, and Vice Chairman Leahy:

As Congress considers additional relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we urge you to
prioritize nutrition programs for older adults. Specifically, we request that the next COVID-19
relief package include $1.1 billion in funding for Older Americans Act (OAA) programs,
including $750 million for OAA Nutrition Services, which critically support the delivery of
nutritious meals to older adults throughout the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately impacting older adults. With the closure of
congregate meal sites and the steep increase in newly homebound older adults, there is now a
higher demand for OAA Programs, such as Home Delivered Meals and other community-based
supportive services. According to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), 93
percent of Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) have reported serving more clients since the
pandemic began, and 69 percent of AAAs saw an increase in demand for their supportive
services. In addition, Meals on Wheels America members are serving an average of 77 percent
more meals to 47 percent more seniors since March, with virtually all programs having seen the
cost of providing services increase. According to n4a, AAAs reported a 52 percent increase in
demand for their caregiver support programs, a 32 percent increase in demand for the Long
Term Care Ombudsman program, and an 84 percent increase in demand for telephone wellness
checks, which may be the only form of contact for socially isolated, homebound older adults.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security (CARES) Act were important first steps in responding to the increased
demand for OAA programs, but additional funding is needed to continue providing vital services
to seniors across the country. Even prior to the pandemic, an estimated 5.3 million (more than 7
percent) older adults experienced food insecurity and more than 17.4 million (24 percent) lived
alone, putting them at greater risk of being socially isolated and/or lonely. In addition, COVID19
has also magnified existing disparities for low-income older adults, which underscores the
need for funding and programming to be appropriately targeted to those with the greatest
need. Ensuring nutrition and supportive services reach communities of color, including those
with disproportionately high infection and death rates, is extremely important as we work to
address COVID-19 related racial and ethnic disparities.

Many older adults remain unable to safely access congregate meals and engage in other social
activities outside of the home during this time. We urge you build on Congress' past support for
senior meal delivery by including $1.1 billion in funding for OAA programs, including $750
million for OAA Nutrition Services, in the next COVID-19 relief bill for senior nutrition and
other targeted efforts to address social isolation. We also urge you to prioritize sufficient
supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needed for these services and testing for social
services staff, health care workers, older adults, and their caregivers.

Sincerely