On Wednesday, Congress passed a temporary spending bill that keeps the government funded beyond Sept. 30. Yet, even in light of lawmakers averting a shutdown, there is another end-of-month deadline looming they’ve largely ignored: expiration of foundational aging and disability legislation called the Older Americans Act (OAA).
The OAA supports the delivery of home and community-based social and services that improve the lives, dignity, safety and wellbeing of older adults. A reauthorization bill was passed in a Senate committee this summer, but further progress has stalled. If Congress doesn’t finalize an OAA bill before or in next year’s omnibus package, critical funding for the supportive services older adults rely on would be threatened.
Congress’ delay in OAA reauthorization is worrying for a number of reasons, but a particularly important concern is the need to address growing climate risks among older adults — especially the risks posed by extreme heat. In the U.S., where heat waves are the No. 1 weather-related killer, older adults make up more than 80% of all heat deaths. And heat is only getting more intense: This summer was Earth’s hottest ever recorded. As extreme heat has worsened, heat-related deaths among older adults have risen by 88% in recent years. Even more older adults will die without action.
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