A day of action for the Older Americans Act has been set for Wednesday, May 28, with the local meeting being held at the Grace United Methodist Church in Salem from 10 to 11:30 am.
Organizers say 2025 has brought unprecedented threats to programs that thousands of older adults depend on. The movement known as “Don’t Blow out the Candle on the Older Americans Act” is calling for the day of action to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Older Americans Act. Along with a call to Congress, the program is calling all legislators, lawmakers, older adults, and caregivers to join them at events across the state to highlight the importance of critical services that impact hundreds of thousands of older adults across Illinois.
Earlier this year, the organization says leaked budget information from the Trump administration showed potential cuts to Older Americans Act funding that would greatly impact older adults and their caregivers all across Illinois. These proposed cuts threaten programs that include fall prevention, evidence-based health promotion programs, respite care for burdened caregivers, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, elder justice initiatives, and Adult Protective Services.
