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President Obama Has Signed the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016

April 19, 2016

President Obama has signed the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016! Authorization expired in 2011 and reauthorization is long overdue.

The bill will help older adults age with independence and dignity in their homes and communities, and protect elders in long-term care facilities and other settings.

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is authorized under the Older Americans Act and administered at the state level. It provides residents of long-term care facilities with access to effective advocacy in order to ensure that they receive the quality of care and quality of life they deserve and are entitled to by law.

Reauthorization strengthens and improves this program’s effectiveness. It clarifies both organizational and individual conflicts of interest within the program; improves resident access to ombudsmen; better protects the confidentiality of ombudsman information; ensures that State Ombudsmen receive ongoing training; and permits ombudsmen, when feasible, to continue to serve residents transitioning from a long-term care facility to a home care setting.

 

For more information about Older Americans Act Reauthorization, visit the issue page.

See a full list of signed legislation here.

Read the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016.

Thank you to all who advocated many times over the past five years to help achieve the passage of this important bill!