BEYOND THE MEAL: THE VALUE OF SOCIALIZATION IN THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT CONGREGATE NUTRITION PROGRAM

The Older Americans Act (OAA) became law on July 14, 1965 and established the Administration on Aging (AoA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). It also created the aging services network which currently includes 56 State Units on Aging (SUAs), 618 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), 246 Title VI Native American aging programs and more than 20,000 service provider organizations which engage thousands of volunteers. In 1972, the OAA added a Nutrition Services Program (NSP) for the elderly beginning with a congregate program with funds reserved for home-delivered meals. A separate program for home-delivered meals was established in 1978. The OAA Amendments of 2006, P.L. 109-365, added a new purpose statement for the NSP. The purpose of the program as stipulated in the law is to (1) reduce hunger and food insecurity, (2) promote socialization of older individuals, and (3) promote the health and well-being outcomes of older individuals by assisting them in accessing nutrition and other disease prevention and health promotion services to delay the onset of adverse health conditions resulting from poor nutritional health or sedentary behavior. S.192, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization of 2015, was passed without opposition by the U.S. Senate on April 7, 2016 and ensures delivery of social and protective services to older Americans through 2018.