An 87-year-old woman in California—who we’ll call Jane Doe—received a call from someone claiming to be Jane’s granddaughter. The “granddaughter” stated she had been arrested following a car accident and needed $9,000 for bail. She asked Jane to talk to her lawyer, “Matthew Halloway.” Matthew Halloway called and told Jane that he needed $9,000 and warned Jane that a gag order prevented her from talking about her granddaughter’s predicament.  Halloway said someone would pick up the $9,000 from Jane’s house. Jane handed the money to the woman who came to her door.

ACL is announcing a new grant award to develop a National Transportation Accessibility Center (NTAC). The grant of $485,000 over a one-year period has been awarded to the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), which will be partnering with the UMass Boston Institute for Community Inclusion, USAging, and DJB Consulting. NTAC also will work closely with people who need or use transportation services, the transportation sector, and an array of national, state and local organizations throughout the country.

Celebrated every October, NDEAM is an opportunity to recognize the contributions of people with disabilities to our workplaces and economy. Led by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), NDEAM also showcases supportive, inclusive policies and practices that benefit workers and employers alike. This year's theme, Disability: Part of the Equity Equation, recognizes the important role that individuals with disabilities play in a diverse and inclusive American workforce.

September is National Recovery Month and

The National Adult Protective Services Training Center (NATC), funded by ACL and administered by the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), provides self-paced eLearning courses for APS professionals throughout the United States. While designed to support APS professionals, the NATC is also available to allied professionals interested in learning more about adult maltreatment and the work of APS.

To close

Today, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) released its first comprehensive report on the accomplishment of Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III, VI, and VII programs.

I have been working in the aging network for over 20 years. During this time, our network and our communities have faced their fair share of obstacles – especially over these last several years, which have stretched us more than I can ever recall in my career. But if there is one thing I have learned, it is that these challenging times give us the chance to grow. They require us to step outside of our comfort zone, and they give us the opportunity to improve ourselves and our services. Often, our best selves are found on the other side of a challenge.

ACL is proud to award more than $2.6 million in Elder Justice Innovation Grants to enhance protections for the rights of older adults and adults with disabilities who are in, or at risk of, guardianship or conservatorship and to improve adult protective services approaches to cases involving opioids and substance use disorders.

Each September we take time to celebrate our nation’s senior centers. The 2022 National Senior Center Month theme, Strengthening Community Connections, highlights the valuable role senior centers play in serving as vital hubs in the community that link older adults with critical programs and services. At ACL, we recognize senior centers as partners in supporting the health and independence of older adults – and harnessing the power and potential of their contributions to the community.