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WE PROPOSE TO MAKE THE AREA AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR CARRYING

OUT JUST SUCH AN INTENSIFIED OUTREACH EFFORT.

ROLE OF LARGER MUNICIPALITIES

QUESTIONS HAVE CONTINUED TO ARISE REGARDING THE ROLE OF CITIES IN THE OVERALL AGING "NETWORK." OUR BILL WILL ALLOW MUNICIPALITIES WITH A POPULATION OF 250,000 OR MORE THE OPTION TO BE DESIGNATED AS A SEPARATE PLANNING AND SERVICE AREA.

LONG-TERM CARE MODEL PROJECT

THE LEGISLATION WE WILL INTRODUCE NEXT WEEK WILL GRANT
AOA THE AUTHORITY TO CREATE A NUMBER OF MODEL LONG-TERM

CARE CENTERS. THESE CENTERS WILL BE LOCATED WITHIN SELECTED
AAA'S THAT CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO
ASSUME THESE ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS: ASSESS AN INDIVIDUAL'S
NEED; DEVELOP A PLAN OF CARE; ARRANGE FOR THE NECESSARY AND
APPROPRIATE SERVICES; MONITOR, EVALUATE, AND REASSESS THE
SITUATION AS CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE; MAINTAIN RECORDS; AND
ASSIST IN OUTREACH. THE MODEL PROJECT APPROACH SHOULD ENABLE
US TO DETERMINE, OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, THE VALIDITY AND
VIABILITY OF THE LONG-TERM CARE CENTER CONCEPT.

TRAINING AND RESEARCH

IN THE AREA OF TRAINING, WE SEE A NEED TO PLACE GREATER EMPHASIS ON SHORT-TERM, IN-SERVICE TRAINING SO AS TO STRENGTHEN THE AGING NETWORK. WE WERE DISTURBED BY THE RECENT DECISION

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OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
TO WITHHOLD 15% OF AOA'S RESEARCH FUNDS FOR USE AT THE
DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL. WE BELIEVE THAT WE MUST PRESERVE THE
COMMISSIONER'S CONTROL OVER AOA RESEARCH FUNDS AND PROHIBIT
SUCH "SKIMMING OFF" BY HIGHER OFFICIALS IN THE DEPARTMENT.

MULTIPURPOSE SENIOR CENTERS -- TITLE V

As I INDICATED EARLIER, MOST OF TITLE V WILL BE MADE A PART OF THE NEW CONSOLIDATED TITLE III UNDER OUR BILL. THE GRANTS FOR ACQUISITION, ALTERATION, RENOVATION AND INITIAL STAFFING WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE STATES UNDER A FORMULA, LIMITED CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY WILL BE GRANTED FOR CENTERS IN RURAL AREAS WHERE NO SUITABLE STRUCTURE IS AVAILABLE. FROM TIME TO TIME THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING HAS RECEIVED TESTIMONY INDICATING THAT THE TEN YEAR LEASING REQUIREMENT FOR SENIOR CENTERS IS CREATING AN ALMOST INSURMOUNTABLE OBSTACLE FOR MANY COMMUNITIES. WE RECOMMEND THAT THIS REQUIREMENT BE MODERATED IN INSTANCES WHERE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR RENOVATION, REHABILITATION, EQUIPMENT, ETC., IS INSUB

STANTIAL.

THE MORTGAGE INSURANCE PROVISION, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN Retained at The National Level FUNDED, WILL BE MOVED ILE AND THE AUTHORITY TO MANAGE THIS PROGRAM WILL BE TRANSFERRED FROM HEW TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. HUD IS BETTER EQUIPPED TO MANAGE SUCH A PROGRAM AND I BELIEVE SUCH A MOVE WILL INCREASE THE CHANCES THAT THE PROGRAM WILL BE FUNDED.

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OLDER AMERICANS VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED, PURSUANT TO THE ENACTMENT OF THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT IN 1965, THE ADMINIS

TRATION ON AGING WAS EXPECTED TO SERVE AS THE FOCAL POINT
OF MOST FEDERAL AGING PROGRAMS. IF IT IS TO FULFILL ITS MAN-
DATE, WE MUST, FROM TIME TO TIME, TRANSFER PROGRAMS FROM
OTHER AGENCIES TO AOA. OUR BILL WILL REPEAL TITLE II OF
THE DOMESTIC VOLUNTEER SERVICE ACT OF 1973, REENACT IT AS
PART OF THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT, AND TRANSFER THOSE PROGRAMS

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BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION ON AGING.

NUTRITION PROGRAM

OUR BILL WILL EXPAND THE NUTRITION PROGRAM BY ADDING AN ENLARGED HOME-DELIVERED MEALS COMPONENT. IN THE PAST, HEW HAS BY GUIDELINE DISCOURAGED THE USE OF TITLE VII FUNDS FOR HOME-DELIVERED MEALS. WE BELIEVE THAT THE DETERMINING FACTOR SHOULD BE THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL, NOT AN ARBITRARY REGULATION. OUR BILL WILL REQUIRE THAT AN ASSESSMENT OF NEED BE MADE FOR ANYONE SEEKING A HOME-DELIVERED MEAL. IF THE PERSON IS, IN FACT, HOMEBOUND, THEN HE OR SHE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HOME-DELIVERED MEALS. THE NUTRITION PROJECTS WOULD BE AUTHORIZED TO CONTRACT THIS FUNCTION THROUGH EXISTING "MEALS-ON-WHEELS" ORGANIZATIONS.

WE WILL ALSO PROPOSE THAT THE TITLE VII HOME-DELIVERED MEAL PROGRAM BE OPENED TO HANDICAPPED AMERICANS. SEVERAL SIMILAR PROPOSALS, WHICH HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO DATE, STIPULATE A MAXIMUM PERCENTAGE OF MEALS WHICH MAY BE SET ASIDE FOR THE HANDICAPPED. WE WOULD RECOMMEND INSTEAD, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT THE ASSESSMENT OF NEED PRINCIPLE ALSO BE APPLIED IN THIS INSTANCE. IF THE HANDICAPPED PERSONS TRULY NEEDS THIS SERVICE SHE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE.

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·HE OR

THE AUTHORIZATION LEVEL WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED

IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE HOME-DELIVERED MEAL
COMPONENT AS WELL AS EXPANSION OF CONGREGATE MEALS, WHERE
NEEDED.

IN ORDER TO IMPROVE COORDINATION BETWEEN TITLES III AND

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TITLE VII, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THE PLANNING PROCESS

BE STRENGTHENED SO THAT THE SOCIAL SERVICE AND NUTRITION

PROGRAMS WILL PLAN THEIR ACTIVITIES TOGETHER AND THESE JOINT SERVICES WILL BE CONTAINED (ALONG WITH OTHERS) IN THE