News/Press Releases

Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act has passed the U.S. Senate and will now be sent to President Obama for his signature, ending a long gap in affirming important programs serving older adults.

New York (April 8, 2016)–Representing nearly 6,000 healthcare professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of older adults, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) commends the U.S. Senate on passing a House-amended version of the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act of 2015, key legislation to deliver social and protective services to older Americans through 2018.

Introduced by U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in 2015, the bill will strengthen landmark legislation originally passed in 1965—and overdue for reauthorization since 2011. Among other objectives, the legislation aims to address elder abuse; evidence-based care; effective coordination of services at the federal, state, and local levels; and several other challenges confronting older Americans and their healthcare professionals.

“The OAA reflects our national commitment to protect and provide for generations of older Americans who helped shape the society we now share,” said AGS CEO Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA. “It’s important that all branches of government stand behind legislation like the OAA, which reflects the attention and respect that older adults deserve.”

Overdue since 2011, reauthorization of the Older Americans Act has passed the U.S. House of Representatives; swift passage in the Senate would finally address a long gap in affirming important protections and programs to help older adults live independently.

New York (Mar. 21, 2016)–Representing nearly 6,000 healthcare professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of older adults, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) commends the U.S. House of Representatives on passing the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act of 2015, key legislation to deliver social and protective services to older Americans through 2018.

Introduced by U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in 2015, the bill would strengthen landmark legislation originally passed in 1965—and overdue for reauthorization since 2011. Among other objectives, the legislation aims to address elder abuse; evidence-based care; effective coordination of services at the federal, state, and local levels; and several other challenges confronting older Americans and their healthcare professionals.

“The OAA reflects our national commitment to protect and provide for generations of older Americans who helped shape the society we now share,” said AGS CEO Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA. “It’s important that all branches of government stand behind legislation like the OAA, which reflects the attention and respect that older adults deserve.”

New York (Feb. 16, 2016)—A newly updated guide from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is putting healthcare professionals on the road to success for assessing and counseling older drivers. With older adults accounting for 10 percent of all people injured in traffic crashes annually and 17 percent of annual traffic fatalities, the Clinician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers (3rd Edition)translates research findings and public health initiatives into practical, person-centered advice for safely navigating the open road.

“For all of us, but for Baby Boomers especially, driving is more than just a national pastime and a means for transportation. It’s a reflection of independence, mobility, and freedom,” explains Alice Pomidor, MD, MPH, AGSF, chair of the editorial board that developed the AGS-NHTSA guide. “The main goal of this guide is to help healthcare professionals promote health, independence, and quality of life by preventing crashes and injuries.”

Added Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, AGS CEO: “This guide reflects the fact that many individuals play a role in older adult well-being, and that expert-authored tools, tips, and recommendations can help all healthcare professionals support high-quality, person-centered care in a key focus area: driver safety.”

As the U.S. welcomes its largest and most diverse group of older residents, insights from ethnogeriatrics specialists at the AGS shed light on health disparities and the importance of embracing culture as a critical facet of care

New York (Feb. 4, 2016)—New guidance from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) aims to transform approaches to healthcare for our increasingly diverse older population. Developed by a committee of experts in ethnogeriatrics (the study of how ethnicity and culture impact the health and well-being of older people), “Achieving High-Quality Multicultural Geriatric Care” outlines present health disparities and the need for sensitivity to culture and health literacy when working with older individuals. As we look toward a not-so-distant future in 2050 when more than 80 million Americans will be 65-years-old or older, the factors outlined by AGS experts represent aspirational hallmarks of health care for a nation where “minorities” will soon account for nearly 40 percent of all older adults.

Under a $3 million grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation, the American Geriatrics Society will administer a Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program Coordinating Center to provide strategic resources for 44 HRSA awardees working on local solutions to the national geriatrics workforce shortage

• W/ $3M @JHARTFOUND grant, @AmerGeriatrics to administer GWEP coordinating center to improve #geriatrics care

New York (Jan. 20, 2016)—The John A. Hartford Foundation has awarded the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) a $3 million grant to establish a Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) Coordinating Center. As a component of the GWEP platform administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the GWEP Coordinating Center will serve as a strategic resource for 44 organizations across 29 states working on projects to increase the number of doctors, nurses, social workers, and other healthcare professionals trained to care for America’s growing older adult population.