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.
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