Area Agencies on Aging: Meeting the Needs of Persons With Developmental Disabilities and Their Aging Families

Abstract

Amendments to the Older Americans Act (PL 100-175) in 1987 and 1992 targeted provision of services by area agencies on aging (AAAs) to persons with developmental disabilities and their family caregivers. This article reports on a survey ofAAAs throughout the United States to assess the success and commitment ofAAAs in implementing these provisions. Specifically, the survey assessed the presence of related organizational mechanisms, services, and linkages to other agencies. Most AAAs reported the presence of services and linkages related to serving this population. Organizational mechanisms within AAAs that were likely to develop and sustain options for these families were less evident. AAAs generally reported that they had no reliable estimate of the number of older persons providing primary care to adults with a developmental disability in their catchment area. It is recommended that families, advocates, and state units on aging encourage AAAs to carry out local needs assessments and more vigorously develop organizational mechanisms within their agencies to provide support to older caregivers of adults with a developmental disability.