President Lyndon B. Johnson signed this Act into law on July 14, 1965. The Act was established to develop programs such as nutrition (serve home delivered meals; meals in senior centers); caregiving support; offer preventive health services; legal services and elder abuse prevention. The Ombudsman programs were created to advocate for those in skilled nursing and much more. These are services open to all seniors and not means tested – meaning just for low income. The Act is an “entitlement” of growing older in our country.
These programs are vital as they help to keep loneliness at bay, sustain good health, and aid in stretching budgets for those on very low fixed incomes. We should all be proud that we can produce social programs that affect all segments, all income levels and increase the quality of life.
Taking care of the elders in our country is a privilege and honor, and I am thankful for those who work in these programs and for the network of “life-sustaining and life-giving” creative programming available.