Administration on Aging
The Administration on Aging is an agency within the Administration for Community Living of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Functions
AoA works to ensure that older Americans can stay independent in their communities, mostly by awarding grants to States, Native American tribal organizations, and local communities to support programs authorized by Congress in the Older Americans Act of 1965. AoA also awards discretionary grants to research organizations working on projects that support those goals. It conducts statistical activities in support of the research, analysis, and evaluation of programs to meet the needs of an aging population.AoA's FY 2013 budget proposal includes a total of $1.9 billion, $819 million of which funds senior nutrition programs like Meals on Wheels. The agency also funds $539 million in grants to programs to help seniors stay in their homes through services and through help given to caregivers. Some of these grants are for Cash & Counseling programs that provide Medicaid participants a monthly budget for home care and access to services that help them manage their finances.