The Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) was enacted to, among other things, help older adults remain in their homes and communities. Programs authorized and funded by OAA Title III grants provide a broad range of assistance to older adults in need of such services, including congregate and home-delivered meals, home-based care, and transportation services.
In 2011, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzed 2008 data and found that about 9 percent of low-income older adults (an estimated 1.6 million out of 17.6 million) received meals like those provided by Title III programs, and that approximately 12 million out of 16 million older adults who likely needed home-based care did not receive it.
To update the findings of the 2011 report, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined: What is known about older Americans’ reported need for home and community-based services like those funded by the OAA and the potential unmet need for these services, based on national survey data.
