Agency On Aging: A Case Study

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“According to the federal Older American’s Act regulation, the primary task of planning and coordinating services” for senior population of Chicago belongs to the Area Agency on Aging.( Illinois.gov) “The Area Agency receives funding from the Department on Aging that based on formula which takes into consideration the number of older citizens and minorities in that area, as well as the number living in poverty, in rural areas, and alone”(Illinois.gov). Currently, the Area Agency on Aging offers several programs for the senior population. For example, Community Care Program provides “in-home and adult day services for seniors each month”(Illinois.gov). Additionally, “seniors who cannot be left alone matched with low-income senior volunteer” …show more content…
They provide services such as “meals, transportation, counseling, legal assistance, and health screening”(Illinois.gov). There are also several Caregiver Resource Centers that “offer counseling, support groups, training, education, and emergency support services. Adult Protective Service is designed to respond to reports of alleged abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of an adult age 60 or older or a person with disabilities age 18-59 who lives in their own home”(Illinois.gov). Older adults also receive legal assistance through Legal Assistance program, which “provides help with civil legal matters such as elder abuse and neglect, financial exploitation, consumer fraud, simple estate planning, advance directives, nursing home residents’ rights, and government benefits programs”(Illinois.gov). Senior Health Insurance Program is “a free statewide health insurance counseling service for Medicare Beneficiaries and their caregivers. Each year the Department develops and provides conferences and workshops attended by more than 6,000 participants.” ( …show more content…
“Aging patients tend to shift from higher-paying employer-sponsored health insurance policies to the federal government’s Medicare and Medicaid programs”(Pletz). Pletz also predicted that “demand for government-funded services, such as public transit and nursing-home care, will increase.” Therefore, there will be a financial pressure on government insurance and other programs that may lead to the increase of tax rates. At the same time, it means that hospital’s revenue will suffer. Also, states will need to increase the amount of immediate-care centers, since full-service hospitals are overwhelmed. Consumer-products companies have to adapt to increasing number of older consumers as well. For example, they will need to design products and packaging that are simple in usage for older people. However, “all consumption expected to decline, since people on retirement spend less money” (Pletz). “Consumers over 65 spend 22% less on food overall and 12% less on groceries, including dairy products,” according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer spending survey. Therefore, some businesses can expect the decline in their revenue. The most important is that the long-term economic growth will decelerate dramatically in the United