The Older Americans Act of 1965 established a range of programs that provide services and opportunities for older Americans, particularly those at risk of losing their independence. The Act also established the Administration on Aging (AoA), headed by an Assistant Secretary for Aging appointed by the President of the United States.

The Administration on Aging administers a number of programs at the federal level, which help a diverse and growing number of vulnerable older persons maintain their independence and remain in their own homes for as long as possible. AoA is the official federal agency dedicated to policy and program development, planning, and the delivery of supportive home and community-based services to older persons and their caregivers.

AoA works in partnership with its nationwide network of 57 State Units on Aging, 655 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), 22 federally recognized tribal organizations and two Native Hawaiian tribes and thousands of service providers. These organizations plan, coordinate, and develop community-level systems of services that meet the unique needs of individual older persons and their caregivers.

Today, one in six Americans is 60 years or older. While many older Americans are active members of their families and communities, others are at risk of losing their independence. People over 85 years of age are the fastest growing segment of the population. Half of them need some help with personal care.

The growth of older populations poses challenges to national public policies because a society's needs change as its proportion of elderly population increases. Among non-institutionalized persons needing assistance with activities of daily living, two-thirds depend solely on family and friends and another one-fourth supplement care by their families with services from paid providers. Only a little more than five percent rely exclusively on paid services.

Jefferson County Office of Senior Citizens Services (OSCS) is one of the 13 Area Agencies on Aging in Alabama and it serves as the umbrella agency for all activities undertaken on behalf of the elderly in Jefferson County. OSCS was organized in 1977 under the auspices of the Jefferson County Commission. The county had earlier, in 1975, assumed a major coordinating role when it established ElderGarden, a multipurpose senior citizens center, which offered a variety of services.

It is important to this agency that it has the full cooperation of the community so that there can be joint efforts to assure older citizens the opportunity to live full and meaningful lives. The five member Jefferson County Commission authorizes OSCS's activities with direct supervision being provided by Commissioner Bettye Fine Collins of District 4. William M. Voigt, MBA, is the executive director of OSCS.