The Ohio Department of Aging is the administrative department of the
Ohio state government responsible for delivery of services and support that improves and promotes quality of life and personal choice for older Ohioans, adults with disabilities, their families and their caregivers. The director of the department is the chief advisor to the
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
concerning issues affecting older Ohioans and policy changes at the federal
Administration on Aging
The Administration on Aging (AoA) is an agency within the Administration for Community Living of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. AoA works to ensure that older Americans can stay independent in their communities, mostly ...
.
History
In 1966, Ohio established the Division of Administration on Aging, the predecessor to the Department of Aging, within the Department of Mental Hygiene and Corrections. On June 26, 1984, the Ohio Commission on Aging attained full departmental status and became the Ohio Department of Aging.
Director
Governor
Mike DeWine
Richard Michael DeWine (; born January 5, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 70th and current governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, DeWine began his career as a prosecutor before being elected to the O ...
appointed Ursel McElroy as his nominee to lead the Ohio Department of Aging on January 10, 2019.
Mission and Programs
The department's mission is to provide leadership for the delivery of services and supports that improve and promote quality of life and personal choice for older Ohioans, adults with disabilities, their families and their caregivers.
Perhaps their best-known program is the popular
Golden Buckeye The Golden Buckeye program is a free service of the Ohio Department of Aging. Ohio citizens age 60 and over automatically qualify for membership in the program and receive a Golden Buckeye card in the mail. Adults age 18 to 59 years old with disab ...
program. The department administers
Medicaid
Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and pers ...
waiver programs that allow older adults on Medicaid to receive the care they need in settings other than
nursing homes, such as the PASSPORT
home care Homecare (also spelled as home care) is health care or supportive care provided by a professional caregiver in the individual home where the patient or client is living, as opposed to care provided in group accommodations like clinics or nursing ho ...
and
Assisted Living Waiver programs. They also administer programs funded by the federal
Older Americans Act, such as nutrition and transportation services for older adults, healthy lifestyle program, the civic engagement initiative and more.
With a few exceptions, the department does not provide direct services to Ohioans. Rather, services are coordinated and managed by a network of 12 area agencies on aging. The area agencies screen potential clients, recruit service providers and more. The department monitors the area agencies for fiscal and program compliance.
References
External links
Ohio Department of Aging
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Aging
Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...
1984 establishments in Ohio