Full Text of HR0561 99th General Assembly
HR0561 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the enactment | 3 | | of the Older Americans Act of 1965; during the past 50 years, | 4 | | the implementation of the Older Americans Act of 1965 has | 5 | | contributed to the economic well-being of millions of older | 6 | | Americans and has improved the quality of life for those | 7 | | individuals; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, One of the key elements contributing to the | 9 | | successful implementation of the Older Americans Act of 1965 | 10 | | has been the establishment of an aging network composed of | 11 | | local area agencies on aging, providers of congregate and | 12 | | home-delivered nutrition, and many other community service | 13 | | providers; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, The United States Department of Health and Human | 15 | | Services' Administration on Aging was created by the Older | 16 | | Americans Act of 1965; the agency has been empowered to act as | 17 | | an effective advocate for the concerns and needs of older | 18 | | individuals; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, The Older Americans Act of 1965 serves as a model | 20 | | for the development of community-based services, including | 21 | | services that provide alternatives to the institutionalization | 22 | | of older individuals; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Some of the programs authorized under the Older | 2 | | Americans Act of 1965 were created to address the specific | 3 | | concerns of those older Americans with the greatest social and | 4 | | economic needs, especially minority older Americans; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Many services under the Older Americans Act of | 6 | | 1965, including long-term care ombudsman and legal services | 7 | | providers, have acted as powerful advocates for older | 8 | | individuals; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Services authorized under the Older Americans Act | 10 | | of 1965 have also provided important part-time community | 11 | | service employment opportunities for low-income older | 12 | | individuals; and | 13 | | WHEREAS, Many older individuals, and those who serve them, | 14 | | have benefited greatly from the research, training, and | 15 | | education that programs established under the Older Americans | 16 | | Act of 1965 have provided; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, During Fiscal Year 2015, Illinois Area Agencies on | 18 | | Aging will serve an estimated 515,700 persons 60 and over, | 19 | | accounting for 22% of the 2.3 million seniors in Illinois; the | 20 | | agencies will also develop and coordinate comprehensive | 21 | | systems of home and community-based services to enable older |
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| 1 | | adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities to live in the | 2 | | least restrictive setting and avoid unnecessary hospital | 3 | | readmissions and placements in long term care facilities; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Thirteen Area Agencies on Aging in Illinois | 5 | | collaborate with 179 provider agencies to provide a myriad of | 6 | | home and community-based services for older adults and their | 7 | | caregivers, including information and assistance for older | 8 | | adults to help them make informed decisions about programs, | 9 | | benefits, and services and live independently for as long as | 10 | | possible, transportation programs, in-home services, | 11 | | home-delivered meals, congregate meals, Multi-Purpose Senior | 12 | | Centers, recreation programs, legal assistance, health | 13 | | promotion and disease prevention, and evidence-based health | 14 | | promotion programs; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, In recognition of the changing needs of a rapidly | 16 | | aging society, the Older Americans Act of 1965 has been | 17 | | periodically amended and reauthorized; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, The Older Americans Act of 1965 served as the | 19 | | foundation for an effective human services policy for millions | 20 | | of Americans as the United States entered the 21st century; | 21 | | therefore, be it
| 22 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| 1 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 2 | | affirm our support for the Older Americans Act of 1965 and the | 3 | | primary goals of the Act of providing services to maintain the | 4 | | dignity of older Illinoisans and promoting the independence of | 5 | | those individuals; and be it further
| 6 | | RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to reauthorize the Older | 7 | | Americans Act of 1965 without delay and with adequate funding | 8 | | to reflect the growing populations of Americans who benefit | 9 | | from the Act's programs and services; and be it further | 10 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 11 | | delivered to the President and Vice President of the United | 12 | | States, the Speaker of the United States House of | 13 | | Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States | 14 | | Senate, and the members of the Illinois congressional | 15 | | delegation.
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