If Congress fails to pass this bill, older adults will lose meal services, transportation and more

On any given weekday morning, my Zoom screen fills with faces from across Chicago’s neighborhoods — North Side retirees sharing a laugh, South Side older adults exchanging wellness tips, West Side participants eager to stay socially connected.

I moderate these virtual programs through Mather, a nonprofit in Evanston offering free arts and wellness opportunities for older adults, but I also do so as a gerontologist who understands that healthy aging doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when public policy supports older adults’ independence, dignity and ability to age in place.

That is why Chicago should care deeply about a critical deadline in Washington. Although bipartisan legislation — the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 — has been introduced, it must still be passed by the House and Senate and be signed by the president by midnight Jan. 30, or funding for Older Americans Act programs will immediately cease nationwide. If lawmakers fail to act, older residents across Cook County could face abrupt disruptions to essential services they rely on every day.

The Older Americans Act is not an abstract federal statute. It is the backbone of America’s aging network, funding meals, transportation, caregiver support, senior centers and other community-based services that help older adults remain healthy and connected.

Nationally, funded programs serve millions of older adults each year and have been shown to reduce social isolation, prevent hunger and help people remain in their homes longer.

Here in Cook County — where nearly 15 percent of residents are age 65 or older — the stakes are especially high. Many older Chicagoans live alone or on fixed incomes and face rising housing and health care costs, transportation barriers and persistent social isolation. For them, the services supported by the Older Americans Act are a lifeline, not a luxury.

Across Chicago neighborhoods — from Englewood to Rogers Park — the funding supports nutrition programs, transportation benefits counseling and social connection through local agencies such as the Chicago Department of Family & Support Services. These services help older adults manage daily life, avoid medical crises and delay premature or unnecessary institutional care.

Yet without timely congressional action, that support is at risk.

Failure to renew the law on schedule would create deep uncertainty for fiscal year 2026 and beyond. Aging-network providers cannot responsibly plan programs, hire staff or budget when federal funding is in limbo. For older adults, that uncertainty translates into fewer meals delivered, missed medical appointments and reduced caregiver support.

Chicago’s older residents already face stark economic and health disparities. City health data shows that many older adults live in neighborhoods with far lower life expectancy and higher rates of chronic disease and preventable health crises — outcomes driven by unequal access to preventive care, nutritious food and reliable transportation. In some South and West side communities, life expectancy is more than 20 years shorter than in wealthier parts of the city, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. These are precisely the gaps the Older Americans Act was designed to address.

Lifelines for older adults

In my work, I observe daily how these policies impact real lives. Three typical examples illustrate what is at stake. They determine whether older adults stay healthy or fall into crisis.

On the South Side, an older woman living alone relies on funded meal delivery to eat and stay well; without it, food insecurity, malnutrition and hospitalization quickly become real risks.

On the West Side, an older man caring for his spouse depends on caregiver counseling and short-term respite to keep going without burning out.

And in Hyde Park, an older resident relies on subsidized transportation to reach routine medical and wellness appointments — services that, if lost, would lead to missed care and rapidly declining health.

Chicago’s aging advocates — from AgeOptions, the area agency on aging for suburban Cook County, to local senior service providers — work every day to connect older adults with meals, caregiver support, transportation and opportunities for engagement, forming a network that responds to growing need.

Older adults are among the fastest-growing segments of the population in Chicago and nationwide. Investing in services that support healthy aging saves public dollars by preventing avoidable emergency care and delaying costly institutional placement.

Renewing the Older Americans Act should be a priority for every Chicagoan who believes in dignity, equity and strong communities. This is the moment for our leaders to act with urgency and care for the older adults they serve.

Michael Pessman is a gerontologist and a virtual programs assistant at Mather, a nonprofit in Evanston offering free arts and wellness opportunities for older adults. He is also a Public Voices fellow with the OpEd Project.