Older Americans Act State Plan Guidance on Holocaust Survivor Care: Background and Instructions

The Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act was signed into law earlier this year, which included a new section, advocated for by The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and The Association of Jewish Family and Children's Agencies (AJFCA), known as "Section 10 - Guidance on Serving Holocaust Survivors." This new portion of the law instructs the Assistant Secretary for Aging to issue guidance to states on serving the unique needs of Holocaust survivors and, in developing this guidance, to consult with experts and organizations that serve survivors.

The U.S. Administration on Community Living (ACL) is currently seeking comments on whether the guidance it has drafted regarding targeting of two new communities - Holocaust survivors and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender older adults - is sufficient. These comments are due by August 22. You can view the draft guidance here (references to survivors can be found on pages 5-6 and 10).

JFNA and AJFCA plan to submit in-depth suggestions to ACL via the comment process, but we need your input. We are asking service providers and communities that know the Holocaust survivor population best to offer recommendations by answering the following questions. All information provided below will be considered for inclusion in our comments to ACL. Additionally, we will use this information to create a template for communities to submit their own comments.
 
Please submit your recommendations no later than July 31st. 
 
Should you want to share more information or have questions regarding this effort, please contact Liz Leibowitz, JFNA and AJFCA's Director of Government Affairs, at elizabeth.leibowitz@jewishfederations.org or at 202-736-5878. 

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* 1. Based on your community's experience, what background information/data (i.e. demographic, statistical, general trends) about Holocaust survivors should be shared with State aging service providers in order for them to appropriately serve this population?

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* 2. Based on your community's experience, what are the unique mental health needs of Holocaust survivors? What are the best practices for providing mental health services to Holocaust survivors?

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* 3. Based on your community's experience, what are the unique physical health needs of Holocaust survivors? What are the best practices for providing physical health services to Holocaust survivors?

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* 4. Based on your community's experience, what are the unique nutrition needs of Holocaust survivors? What are the best practices for providing nutrition services to Holocaust survivors?

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* 5. Based on your community's experience, what are the unique transportation needs of Holocaust survivors? What are the best practices for providing transportation services to Holocaust survivors?

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* 6. Based on your community's experience, what are the unique needs of paid caregivers who serve Holocaust survivors? What are the best practices for working with family caregivers of Holocaust survivors?

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* 7. Based on your community's experience, what are the unique needs of family caregivers who serve Holocaust survivors? What are the best practices for working with family caregivers of Holocaust survivors?

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* 8. Based on your community's experience, what unique needs of Holocaust survivors can be met through other supportive services (i.e. personal care, homemaker, chore, adult day care, day health, and/or case management services)? What are the best practices for providing these supportive services to Holocaust survivors?

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* 9. Based on your community's experience, are there any other pieces of information that you believe should be shared with State aging service providers to help them best meet the needs of Holocaust survivors?

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* 10. Contact Information:

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