This news item expired on Friday, February 24, 2023 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
The Older Americans Act (OAA) was passed by Congress in 1965 to address the lack of community social services for older adults. The legislation authorized grants to states to provide comprehensive and coordinated community-based programs and services to older adults, age 60 and over, to help them age in the community and maintain their independence as well as to offer protection.
Buncombe County serves as the Lead Agency and oversees the distribution of the Home and Community Care Block Grant (HCCBG) Funding and the Buncombe County Supplemental Aging Funding (BCSAF). This is a mix of federal, state, and county funding. While both the HCCBG and BCSAF support services/programs for older adults age 60+ and their unpaid caregivers, there are differences in what is funded.
The Home and Community Care Block Grant (HCCBG) Funding funds services/programs for older adults 60+ and their unpaid caregivers in these categories:
- Adult Day Programs
- Care Management
- Congregate Nutrition
- Group Respite
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Health Screening
- Home-Delivered Meals
- Skilled Home Care
- Housing and Home Improvement
- Information and Options Counseling
- In-Home Aide
- Mental Health Counseling
- Respite Care
- Senior Companion Program
- Senior Center Operations
- Volunteer Program Development
- Consumer Directed Services
- Overnight Respite Service
- Transportation
The Buncombe County Supplemental Aging Funding (BCSAF) funds services/programs for older adults 60+ and their unpaid caregivers outside of the allowed HCCBG categories mentioned above. Services/Programs that may be funded through BCSAF may include:
- Services that address an unmet need or a gap in service
- Services that are innovative and solve old problems in a new way
- New or innovative collaborations to address needs or gaps in services
The FY24 Aging Services Program Application was released on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. Eligible applicants may be public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations or governmental entities, except when a procurement process has been used to select and contract with a for-profit organization to provide services. Interested applicants may go to the Buncombe County Aging Services Funding webpage, https://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/community-investment/grants/aging-services-funding.aspx, or https://www.buncombecounty.org/apply. There is also a recording available regarding the application and process should individuals be interested please visit the website above or email Billie.Breeden@buncombecounty.org for additional information. The deadline to submit the application is 5:00 pm on Friday, February 24, 2023.