ACL outlines Older Americans Act programs, caregiver supports and dementia‑focused grants
February 17, 2026 | Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Executive, Federal
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Erin Long of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) briefed the council on ACL’s role within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and summarized programs funded under the Older Americans Act to help older adults remain in their communities.
Long said ACL funds a range of services — home‑delivered and congregate meals, case management, personal care, respite and long‑term care ombudsman services — and supports national caregiver programs such as the National Family Caregiver Support Program. She described the Alzheimer’s Disease Program Initiative (ADPI) as ACL’s dementia‑focused grant suite that supports state, community and tribal grantees to deliver person‑centered, evidence‑informed interventions.
Long cited program reach and return on investment: ACL programs serve a large share of older adults (she summarized the reach as about one in six seniors), provide millions of meals annually and deliver millions of hours of case management and personal care. She said ACL’s contractors reported that 98% of grantees sustained some or all activities funded by ACL, 85% of those activities continued 1–8 years later, and 70% of grantees expanded at least one activity.
Long described targeted funding: a dementia‑specific respite program of $5,000,000 per year (about 80% used for subgrants to community organizations) and a $2,000,000 annual award to support the Alzheimer’s Association national call center. ACL also operates the National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center (NADRC) that curates grantee resources and offers webinars and toolkits.
She reviewed the RAISE Act and the 2022 national family caregiving strategy ACL leads, state implementation grants (nine states funded so far) and other initiatives including community care corps volunteer programs. Long emphasized evaluation and sustainability planning as central grant conditions and invited council members to ACL webinars and resource pages for additional materials.
Long said ACL funds a range of services — home‑delivered and congregate meals, case management, personal care, respite and long‑term care ombudsman services — and supports national caregiver programs such as the National Family Caregiver Support Program. She described the Alzheimer’s Disease Program Initiative (ADPI) as ACL’s dementia‑focused grant suite that supports state, community and tribal grantees to deliver person‑centered, evidence‑informed interventions.
Long cited program reach and return on investment: ACL programs serve a large share of older adults (she summarized the reach as about one in six seniors), provide millions of meals annually and deliver millions of hours of case management and personal care. She said ACL’s contractors reported that 98% of grantees sustained some or all activities funded by ACL, 85% of those activities continued 1–8 years later, and 70% of grantees expanded at least one activity.
Long described targeted funding: a dementia‑specific respite program of $5,000,000 per year (about 80% used for subgrants to community organizations) and a $2,000,000 annual award to support the Alzheimer’s Association national call center. ACL also operates the National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center (NADRC) that curates grantee resources and offers webinars and toolkits.
She reviewed the RAISE Act and the 2022 national family caregiving strategy ACL leads, state implementation grants (nine states funded so far) and other initiatives including community care corps volunteer programs. Long emphasized evaluation and sustainability planning as central grant conditions and invited council members to ACL webinars and resource pages for additional materials.
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