Administration on Aging

Mission

To foster the development of services to help older persons maintain their independence.

Evaluation Program

The Administration on Aging (AoA) is the federal focal point and advocate agency for older persons and their concerns. The AoA administers key federal programs mandated under various titles of the Older Americans Act. These programs help vulnerable older persons remain in their own homes by providing supportive services. Other programs offer opportunities for older Americans to enhance their health and to be active contributors to their families, communities, and the Nation through employment and volunteer programs. The AoA works closely with its nationwide network of regional offices and State and Area Agencies on Aging to plan, coordinate, and develop community‑level systems of services that meet the unique needs of individual older persons and their caregivers. The AoA collaborates with federal agencies, national organizations, and representatives of business to ensure that, whenever possible, their programs and resources are targeted to the elderly and coordinated with those of the network on aging. As the responsibilities of this nationwide network of State and Area Agencies on Aging continue to grow, it is essential that they have the necessary information to meet these responsibilities.

The overall evaluation priorities of the AoA are to support studies that provide information on the following: (1) the success of existing program implementation in meeting the goals of the Older Americans Act; (2) the design and operation of effective programs; and (3) issues relevant to policy development, legislative planning, and program management.

In-Progress Evaluations

National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants Using Indicators Developed under the Performance Outcomes Measures Project

The purpose of this project is to conduct a statistically valid national survey of recipients of services under the Older Americans Act using survey questions designed in concert with states and Area agencies on aging.  Questions have been field-tested by states under AoA’s current performance outcomes measures project. Telephone surveys will be conducted by Westat on a sample drawn with the cooperation of approximately 150 area agencies nationwide.
PIC ID: 7650; EXPECTED COMPLETION: FY 2002; CONTACT: David Bunoski, 202-260-0669; PERFORMER: Westat, Inc., Rockville, MD

Performance Outcome Measures Project - Field Testing Phase

The Performance Outcomes Measures project (POMP) has been sponsored by the Administration on Aging  (AoA) to develop performance based measures for evaluating aging services.  Another goal is to develop a prototype system for recording and reporting agency level information.  POMP is a multi-agency collaboration involving state and local agencies on aging, AoA, contractors and consultants.  The performance measures developed for this project are intended to cover a range of issues such as:  documenting that services are targeted to persons with the greatest social and economic needs, as the Older Americans Act requires; identifying, exploring, or monitoring important aspects of the services provided on the communities and client populations served by programs, even where no clear link to services can be established and analyzing the accomplishments of programs or services for service recipients.  AOA has recently made grants to thirteen states for a third year of field testing of the survey instruments developed during the first year of the project.  Preliminary data from the first project year are now beginning to arrive and to be analyzed with an eye toward program improvements.
PIC ID: 6855; EXPECTED COMPLETION: FY 2002; CONTACT: David Bunoski, 202-260-0669; PERFORMER: Westat, Inc., Rockville, MD

Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Grants to States Program Evaluation

This contract provides for a statutorily mandated programmatic evaluation of the Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Grants to States (ADDGS) program, which was transferred to AoA from HRSA in November 1998.  Included in this contract is data collection and management, and program evaluation of the 15 Demonstration sites nationwide.  This contract is intended to support the continuation of data collection and monitoring for accuracy, completeness and quality, the collection of all program data from the 15 ADDGS grantees for a period of 20 months, and the dissemination of program data and information at national professional conferences.   Contract includes the provision of a final report on the program.
PIC ID: 7296; EXPECTED COMPLETION: FY 2002; CONTACT: Melanie K. Starns, 202-401-4547; PERFORMER: University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Grants to States Program:  Further Evaluation and Data Analysis

The purpose of this contract is to analyze the longitudinal data collected for the past seven years through the Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Grants to States program and to produce a written report of that analysis for use in reporting to Congress on some of the outcomes of the ADDGS Program.
PIC ID: 7297; EXPECTED COMPLETION: FY 2002; CONTACT: Melanie K. Starns, 202-401-4547; PERFORMER: University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Grants to States Program:  Managed Care Initiative

The purpose of the ADDGS Managed Care Initiative, initiated by HRSA in 1997 (when they were administering this program) is to test the effect of community-based interventions for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their families upon use of primary care physicians in a managed care setting.  Final analysis will seek to determine if there is a decreased utilization of primary care physicians for resource and referral purposes and if there is any discernable difference between families participating in the program and those accessing information through routine channels.
PIC ID: 7298; EXPECTED COMPLETION: FY 2003; CONTACT: Melanie K. Starns, 202-401-4547; PERFORMER: University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS