Protect Meals, Rides, and Home Care for Older Americans

HELP OLDER AMERICANS REMAIN AT HOME Millions of older Americans rely on community services to remain safely at home. On July 14, 2026, the Senate unanimously passed S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025. You can now finish what the Senate started by passing it and sending it to the President. WHAT THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT DOES This is the law making that possible. Enacted in 1965, the Older Americans Act is the principal federal law supporting community services for adults 60 and older. It funds meals, transportation, caregiver assistance, legal protections, and senior centers—not cash benefits. Unlike Medicare, which mainly pays for medical care, the Act supports everyday help that can keep health and safety problems from becoming emergencies. Funds generally flow through state and area agencies on aging to local organizations familiar with community needs. SMALL SERVICES PREVENT LARGER CRISES This local network reaches a striking number of people each year — more than 14 million, through over 250 million meals, 14 million rides, and 30 million hours of in-home and caregiver support. A delivered meal can double as a safety check for an isolated person. A ride to the doctor can prevent untreated illness, and limited home help can reduce falls. SUPPORTING FAMILY CAREGIVERS These services also ease pressure on family caregivers. Most long-term assistance in America is provided by unpaid relatives and friends. Many also hold jobs or face health problems. Training, counseling, and temporary relief help them continue safely. According to the Administration for Community Living’s National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants, nearly 62 percent of participating caregivers said the person they assisted would probably need nursing-home care without these services. The programs cannot eliminate that need, but can prevent unnecessary placement when limited support would let someone remain safely at home. WHAT S. 2120 WOULD DO S. 2120 strengthens this system for the years ahead. It reauthorizes programs through fiscal year 2030, expands caregiver support, strengthens services for Tribal elders, improves coordination for older adults with disabilities, and addresses home-care workforce shortages. PREVENTION COSTS LESS THAN CRISIS These investments pay for themselves. Without meals, transportation, home assistance, or caregiver support, manageable problems can lead to malnutrition, missed care, hospitalization, caregiver exhaustion, or premature institutional placement. Community services cost far less than hospitalization or institutional care and ease pressure on Medicare, Medicaid, families, and states. THE HOUSE SHOULD ACT NOW By 2030, every baby boomer will be at least 65, and the number needing help with daily activities will keep growing. Please support prompt House passage of S. 2120 without weakening its core services, and follow it with the annual funding and oversight local programs need. Thank you.