Older Americans Act is worth celebrating – July 12, 2025
By Lynn Kellogg July 14 marks the 60th anniversary of the national Older Americans Act (OAA). Five national organizations championing the cause of the older population have come together to declare July 14 a Day of Action and awareness of the tremendous impact of the OAA. The organizations: ADvancing States, National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs […]
Medicaid cuts would hurt vulnerable seniors – May 17, 2025
By Lynn Kellogg Last month I wrote about key efficiencies in three pieces of national legislation critical to the health and livelihood of our elder population: the Older Americans Act, Medicare and Medicaid. Now it’s important to drill down further on Medicaid. Why? Because when something is called a “waiver” and it’s “discretionary” by state, […]
Changes in Washington could affect elder care – April 19, 2025
By Lynn Kellogg Congress has critical budget decisions to make on how to spend reduced dollars. It’s a daunting task without knowing the intricacies of the programs and interests affected. Big-ticket items dramatically affecting our elder population are in play: the Older Americans Act (OAA), Medicaid and Medicare. Within these structures, key programs exist to save money […]
MI Choice Waiver complimented by vast array of resources – Jan. 11, 2025
By Alexandra Newman If you’ve read the last few Generations Columns in The Herald-Palladium, you might have noticed a theme: our MI Choice Waiver program. Lynn Kellogg wrote about the history of home-based care options; I wrote about some feedback we received from Waiver clients last year; and Sara Duris confronted a frequently asked question […]
Another year of choice – Alexandra Newman – Dec. 28, 2024
Region IV Area Agency on Aging (AAA) staff routinely collect feedback from those we serve to make sure we’re providing quality care that meets our clients’ needs and preferences. We do that through paper and phone surveys, quarterly meetings of a “Consumer Advisory Council,” as well as offering a 24-hour reporting hotline for any concerns […]