Adequacy of the Administration on Aging's Provision of Technical Assistance for Targeting Services Under the Older Americans Act
Highlights
GAO discussed the Administration on Aging's (AOA) provision of technical assistance for the targeting of minorities in federal and state programs and services. GAO noted that: (1) 8 of the 10 regional offices GAO surveyed reported that they provided large amounts of assistance to elderly persons in socioeconomic need and to minority elderly; (2) none of the regional offices provided the same level of technical assistance to help state units collect demographic data about elderly populations in their geographic area; (3) states reported having unmet needs for technical assistance to target elderly persons in socioeconomic need, minority elderly, and collect demographic data about elderly populations in their areas; (4) states indicated a need for more technical assistance for outreach initiatives to low-income and minority elders, demographic data, and the performance of needs assessments; and (5) states identified technical assistance needs regarding data collection, interpretation of legislation, policies, and regulations, and monitoring of plans and contracts.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Administration on Aging | The Commissioner on Aging should take steps to acquire from the U.S. Census Bureau the necessary demographic/census information to be used by the state units and area agencies to identify and target elderly populations in their respective geographic areas. |
Closed – Implemented
AOA provided state and area agencies on aging with a tabulation of the 1990 census that will allow them to identify and target elderly low-income and minority populations.
|
| Administration on Aging | The Commissioner on Aging should identify those state units that continue to have serious unmet needs for technical assistance for targeting, and then provide those agencies with the necessary assistance. |
Closed – Implemented
Regional offices conducted a survey of state agencies on aging to assess their needs for technical assistance. They have developed a mechanism whereby the technical assistance will be provided.
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