The Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Arkansas advocates for issues effecting seniors.  Below is a list of current activities.
 

Click Here to see the Legislative Victories of 2011
AAA Funding from the 2011 Legislative Session
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Link will be activated when Legislative Session is addressing issues that effect senior adults.

To see AARP's 2011 Arkansas Legislative Priorities please click here.
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ARKANSAS ASSOCIATION OF AREA AGENCIES ON AGING, INC.
Legislative Priorities 2011

1. Provide additional annual state funding to the 205 Senior Centers in the State of Arkansas. $2.3 million is requested for the first year of the biennium to restore cuts, eliminate waiting list and increase the program do to inflation and $2.8 million in the second year of the biennium.

-          Senior Centers currently have 422 persons on waiting lists for Home Delivered Meals

-          Senior Centers serve 350,000 less Home Delivered Meals annually then they did in 2007 (almost 1000 meals per day less)

-          Senior Centers serve 300,000 less Congregate Meals annually then they did in 2008 (over 800 meals less per day)

-          Senior centers cannot maintain their buildings and equipment at a level to sustain continued operations.

-          A national study documented that one in nine older people in the U.S. are at risk for hunger.  Arkansas has the third highest rate of older people at risk for hunger in the nation. 

2. Provide additional annual funding to the State Older Worker Program. $540,980 in additional funding is needed annually (Funding request included in No. 1)

-          The program has never had an increase in funding since its inception in the 1980’s

-          Increases in minimum wage has reduced the number of state Older Workers and hours

-          These positions are 20 hour a week positions used by the Senior Centers as Cooks, Van Drivers, Meal Deliverers, Clerical and Maintenance.

3. Increase funding for Home and Community Based Services in Arkansas

-          Arkansas Medicaid Long Term Care system remains heavily invested in expensive institutional care.  73% versus 61% nationally

-          Over the last 9 years (1999 – 2008) nursing home funding has increased 93% while Home and Community Based care funding has remained flat.

-          Arkansas needs a uniform assessment and eligibility process for all long term care services so it won’t take longer to get approved for Medicaid home care than Medicaid nursing home care.

The 2010 Silvered Haired Legislature was held at the state capitol in Little Rock on August 25-26.  Here are the bills that the Silver Haired Legislator Delegates passed in the session.
 

BILL NO. 01

ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTERS IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS

BILL NO. 02

SUPPLEMENT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM, WHICH IS MANDATED  BY THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT OF 1965

BILL NO. 03

PROVIDE FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL ADULT DAY-CARE SERVICES

BILL NO. 04
ALERT ARKANSAS RESIDENTS TO HAZARDS AND ENHANCING THEIR SAFETY THROUGH THE USE OF "ALERT EXPRESS"

BILL NO. 05

AFFORD ARKANSANS 65 AND OLDER THE LOWEST EXISTING ENERGY RATE AND EXEMPTION FROM FUTURE ENERGY TAX INCREASES

BILL NO. 08

INCREASE FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED BY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS IN ARKANSAS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

BILL NO. 09

INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE OLDER WORKER PROGRAM

BILL NO. 10

ESTABLISH A GRANDPARENT COMMISSION TO ASSIST OLDER PERSONS WHO ARE PRIMARY CAREGIVERS FOR GRANDCHILDREN

BILL NO. 13

CREATE EQUAL ACCESS TO HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED CARE BY PROVIDING A UNIFORM ASSESSMENT AND ELIGIBILITY PROCESS FOR ALL LONG TERM CARE SERVICES

BILL NO. 15

REGARDING DENTAL, VISION, AND HEARING FOR SENIORS AGES 65 AND OLDER

BILL NO. 16
PROVIDE FUNDING FOR SENIOR CITIZENS SERVICES THROUGH AN ADDITIONAL FIVE (5) CENT LEVY ON BOTTLED WATER SOLD IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS FOR OTHER PURPOSES

BILL NO. 17

TO PROTECT NURSING HOME RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES BY PUTTING CAMERALS IN PUBLIC AND COMMON AREAS

BILL NO. 18
TO ELIMINATE THE MANDATORY ARBITRATION CLAUSE IN NURSING HOME ADMISSION FORMS

BILL NO. 20
PROTECT THE VULNERABLE AGING FROM SCAMS

BILL NO. 21
INCREASE THE FINANCIAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE EMPOLYED UNDER THE OLDER WORKERS PROGRAM

RESOLUTION NO. 02
RECOGNIZE THE 17TH BIENNIAL SESSION OF THE SILVER HAIRED LEGISLATURE WIT A PHOTO TO BE HUNG IN THE STATE CAPITOL, COUNTY COURTHOUSES AND AAA OFFICES

RESOLUTION NO. 03
FUNDING FOR THE STATE OLDER WORKER PROGRAM