Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee spoke about opportunities to improve the well-being of older persons to the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing this week. The Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing was established by the General Assembly in December, 2010 “to…

"How is my child doing?": parents and other caregivers often ask themselves. Several federal projects are underway to support parents and professionals who work with young children in answering this universal question. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education have launched a…

Elder abuse is a global crisis that is growing. By the year 2025, there will be 1.2 billion people in the world over the age of 60. While country-specific data varies, it is clear older adults all across the globe experience physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse. In the U.S., recent…

I am delighted to welcome two important programs to ACL—the Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) and the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs). These programs are moving to ACL as a result of the 2014 budget recently signed by President Obama. ACL was formed in April 2012 to advance policy…

Every 48 seconds in the U.S., someone becomes paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury. The majority of these injuries are caused by auto accidents, on-the-job incidents, and sports. In July of this year, the U.S. Senate designated September 2014 as National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. The…

Adam’s* Decision In 2012, “Adam” (not his real name) was fighting an infection in his leg and facing a tough situation. The Protection and Advocacy Agency (P&A) in his state became involved when the state’s Attorney General’s office called. The Attorney General’s office told P&A staff that…

Today, President Obama signed the "Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act" into law. This bipartisan bill, which recently passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 95-3 and the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 415-6, makes important changes to disability programs authorized under the…

It's still hard to believe that Robin Williams – beloved comedian, actor, father, and friend – is no longer with us. To the public and even close friends, he appeared to be happy, upbeat and funny, and he was financially stable — all of those things that seem worth living for. But behind the public…

In recent years, the United States has experienced a number of significant natural disasters. Several of these events happened with little or no warning. One key lesson that we have learned from these unfortunate circumstances is to "be prepared," a message that is especially important for older…

On June 6, 2014, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued important guidance on implementing Section 2402(a) of the Affordable Care Act. This provision of the law requires the Secretary to ensure all states develop systems for delivery of home and community-based services and…