The Ohio Department of Aging, formerly the Ohio Commission on Aging, is a cabinet-level agency in Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. The director of the department is the chief advisor to the Governor

Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...

 concerning issues affecting older Ohioans, and policy changes at the federal Administration on Aging

Administration on Aging

The Administration on Aging is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. AoA awards annual grants to State government agencies on aging and Native American tribal organizations to support programs mandated by the Congress in the Older Americans Act...

.

History

In 1966, Ohio established the Division of Administration on Aging, the prececesor to the Department of Aging, within the Department of Mental Hygiene and Corrections. On June 26, 1984, the Ohio Commission on Aging attained full departmental status and became the Ohio Department of Aging.

Director

The current director is Bonnie Kantor-Burman

Bonnie Kantor-Burman

Bonnie Kantor-Burman, Sc.D., is the 10th and current director of the Ohio Department of Aging.She was appointed to that cabinet-level position in January 2011 by Ohio Governor John Kasich. For 15 years, she was the director of the Office of Geriatrics and Gerontology at The Ohio State University...

, SC. D. Prior to being appointed by Governor John Kasich

John Kasich

John Richard Kasich is the 69th and current Governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1983 to 2001...

 in January 2011, she was the executive director of the Pioneer Network, a national advocate for nursing home reform. She served 15 years as the director of the Office of Geriatrics at The Ohio State University.

Mission and Programs

The department's mission is to to provide leadership for the delivery of services and supports that improve and promote quality of life and personal choice for older Ohioans, adults with disabilities, their families and their caregivers. Perhaps their best-known program is the popular Golden Buckeye

Golden Buckeye

The Golden Buckeye program is a free service of the Ohio Department of Aging. Ohio citizens age 60 and over automatically qualify for membership in the program and receive a Golden Buckeye card in the mail. Adults age 18 to 59 years old with disabilities as defined by Social Security also qualify...

 program. The department administers Medicaid

Medicaid

Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...

 waiver programs that allow older adults on Medicaid to receive the care they need in settings other than nursing home

Nursing home

A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...

s, such as the PASSPORT home care

Home care

Home Care, , is health care or supportive care provided in the patient's home by healthcare professionals Home Care, (also referred to as domiciliary care or social care), is health care or supportive care provided in the patient's home by healthcare professionals Home Care, (also referred to as...

 and Assisted Living

Assisted living

Assisted living residences or assisted living facilities provide supervision or assistance with activities of daily living ; coordination of services by outside health care providers; and monitoring of resident activities to help to ensure their health, safety, and well-being.Assistance may...

 Waiver programs. They also administer programs funded by the federal Older Americans Act

Older Americans Act

The Older Americans Act of 1965 was the first federal level initiative aimed at providing comprehensive services for older adults. It created the National Aging Network comprising the Administration on Aging on the federal level, State Units on Aging, and Area Agencies on Aging at the local level...

, such as nutrition and transportation services for older adults, healthy lifestyle program, the civic engagement initiative and more.

With few exceptions, the department does not provide direct services to Ohioans. Rather, services are coordinated and managed by a network of 12 area agencies on aging. The area agencies screen potential clients, recruit service providers and more. The department monitors the area agencies for fiscal and program compliance..