OAA State Plan

Review Your Local Area Agency on Aging’s Four-Year Area Plan

Local 2020-2024 Area Plans

    2021-25 Older Americans Act State Plan

    What Is the Older Americans Act State Plan?

    Each year, the federal government gives California more than $160 million in funding for programs authorized by the Older Americans Act (OAA) and related federal legislation. This funding is in addition to one-time COVID-19 response funds the state has received. OAA programs, which are operated by local Area Agencies on Aging, provide vital services for older adults related to nutrition, health and wellness, caregiver support, and much more.

    To receive this federal funding, California must submit a State Plan on Aging to the federal Administration for Community Living every four years that identifies specific goals related to OAA programs.

    The 2021-25 OAA State Plan, which went into effect October 1, 2021, will serve as a blueprint for California’s OAA network to build equitable, age-friendly communities through programs, partnerships, services, outreach efforts, and advocacy.

    Public Input

    During two well-attended public hearings on the draft OAA State Plan in April, CDA heard from older adults, people with disabilities, agencies and advocates that serve these individuals, and others. The hearings, which included live captioning and an ASL interpreter, were recorded and can be accessed here.

    More than 130 people also shared their comments via an online survey (available in English, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese). In addition, CDA asked stakeholders in the aging and disability communities to comment on the plan and, in some cases, to engage in small group discussions. These stakeholders included the California Commission on Aging, the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging, county government leadership, and others.

    All public and stakeholder input was carefully considered and resulted in multiple changes to the plan. Commenters, for instance, suggested the plan include more strategies related to older adults with dementia, older adults who are LGTBQ, older adults with disabilities, and older adults experiencing homelessness. Other people asked that the plan more prominently address disaster services aimed at saving older and disabled people—along with many other priorities.