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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
To see
AARP's 2011 Arkansas Legislative Priorities please click here.
ARKANSAS
ASSOCIATION OF AREA AGENCIES ON AGING, INC.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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 BILL NO. 17 TO PROTECT NURSING HOME RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES BY PUTTING CAMERALS IN PUBLIC AND COMMON AREAS
BILL NO. 18
BILL NO. 20
BILL NO. 21
RESOLUTION NO. 02
RESOLUTION NO. 03
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