From Seattle to D.C.: Standing Up for Older Adults Through Advocacy

May is Older Americans Month, and there are many ways that older adults are respected and celebrated in our communities. For example, Seattle and Renton are Age-Friendly cities, an initiative that aims to make our communities a great place to grow up and grow old. These cities have action plans of concerted efforts to holistically address the needs of their aging populations. At the same time, proposed changes at the federal level could create new challenges, potentially making it harder for older adults to maintain their independence and quality of life.

Last month I was privileged to travel to D.C. to attend the USAging policy briefing on budget and policy issues that affect older adults. These are currently being discussed and debated by the current administration and in Congress. USAging is the national association representing and supporting the network of local area agencies on aging and advocating for the Title IV Native American Aging Programs. Its members help older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers in the U.S. live with optimal health, well-being, independence, and dignity. Seattle-King County is one of the statewide area agencies on aging and a member of USAging.

With two staff from the Seattle Aging and Disability Services division, I heard from expert speakers about a number of issues on the table, such as:

• What some of the possible cuts to Medicaid funding would mean for older adults and people with disabilities who rely on this program for help to stay in their homes
• How the possible reorganization of the Administration on Aging and Community Living could affect support, especially for caregivers
• How critical the reauthorization of the current Older Americans Act is for the continuation of vital services to older adults

Recently, the FY 2026 Health and Human Services (HHS) budget draft shows the Trump Administration’s intent to tear apart Older Americans Act (OAA) programs and send them to two different agencies. The draft proposes to move most OAA programs to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and move only OAA Title III C nutrition programs to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). In addition, the budget recommends eliminating funding in FY 2026 for several critical OAA programs, including Title III D (Health Promotion) and Title VII (Long-Term Care Ombudsman), as well as State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs/SHIBA), elder justice programs, and more.

All this may sound like wonky, gloomy data sharing, but it was set in the context of how we could use the information to educate our policymakers about the harm some of these decisions could create for their older adult constituents. This advocacy component was accomplished the second day of the briefing, called “Hill Day,” when we made visits to speak with the legislative assistants of the King County Congressional delegation—four representatives—and the two senators from our state. This was my favorite part of the trip because we gave these bright and eager staff copies of the USAging policy agenda and told them personal stories about the challenges that cuts to these programs, including staff layoffs, were making.

When we asked them how we could help our policymakers advocate for older adults and people with disabilities, they had two important tips that I’ll pass along here:

• Call or email your senators and representatives and tell them your stories—for example, how waiting on hold for hours to get in touch with the Social Security staff affected you or your friend. Tell them about encountering closed offices or what happens if the funding for caregivers you rely on to care for your mom goes away. The policymakers use these stories to advocate for their constituents and make a difference, so please tell your stories.
• Invite your representative or our senators to visit your local senior center. Or, if you are a provider, invite them to your office that has services for older adults. Invite them to have lunch at your community meal program. Policymakers can then see for themselves why these services are so important, and they can talk with staff and participants to hear their stories directly. This will help them make the case for keeping supports in place.

Even though a trip to speak with policymakers in D.C. is not possible for most of us, there are still ways to navigate the potential challenges ahead with advocacy to keep older adults and people with disabilities on the radar on the federal level. I invite you to join this effort!

Contributor Alex O’Reilly chairs the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services. She welcomes input from readers via e-mail (advisorychair@agewisekingcounty.org).

Mark Your Calendars

Following are upcoming events of interest:

• ADS Advisory Council Meeting: Friday, May 9 (noon–2 p.m.); virtual meeting unless otherwise specified. To receive the meeting link and information, email aginginfo@seattle.gov in advance.
• Get Ready for Caregiving- Yours, Mine and Theirs: Join Dori Gillam as she talks about her experiences navigating the healthcare systems and becoming a caregiver for her parents overnight. Monday, May 12 (7:30 p.m.) at The Wyncote NW Forum, 1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101. Get tickets here.
• Civic Coffee: Home Safety and When to Call 911: Thursday, May 15 (1 p.m.- 2 p.m.) at Asian Counseling & Referral Service Inc., 3639 Martin Luther King Jr Way S, Seattle, WA, 98144. Contact agefriendly@seattle.gov for more information.