MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL Chairman: Bertha S. Adkins. Executive Director: Cleonice Tavani, Federal Council on the Aging, Room 4022, Donohoe Building, 400 6th Street, SW., Washington, D.C. 20201 FOR A TERM OF 1 YEAR (TO 6-5-75) Bertha S. Adkins, of Oxford, Maryland, former Under Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Dorothy Louise Devereux, of Honolulu, Hawaii, former Member of the Hawaii State House of Representatives. Carl Eisdorfer, M.D., Ph. D., of Seattle, Washington, Professor and Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, past President of the Gerontological Society. Charles J. Fahey, The Reverend Monsignor, of Syracuse, New York, Director of the Catholic Charities for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse and President elect of the American Association of Homes for the Aging. John B. Martin, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, former Commissioner on Aging, Special Consultant to the American Association of Retired Persons and the National Retired Teachers Association. FOR A TERM OF 2 YEARS (TO 6-5-76) Frank B. Henderson, of Worthington, Pennsylvania, Director, Nutrition Services, Armstrong County Community Action Agency. Frell M. Owl, of Cherokee, North Carolina, Retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs; Member of the Indian Advisory Council of the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging. Lennie-Marie P. Tolliver, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Professor and Associate Director, School of Social Work, the University of Oklahoma. Charles J. Turrisi, of Norfolk, Virginia, retired as General Superintendent of Mails of Norfolk. He is legislative chairman for the Norfolk Chapters of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and the American Association of Retired Persons. Selden G. Hill, of Orlando, Florida, is a member of the Advisory Board of the Florida State Division on Aging. He was Assistant Director of the War Manpower Commission of the U.S. Civil Service Commission. FOR A TERM OF 3 YEARS (TO 6-5-77) Nelson Hale Cruikshank, of the District of Columbia, President, National Council of Senior Citizens. Former Director of Department of Social Security, AFL-CIO. Sharon Masaye Fujii, of Santa Monica, California, Vice President of Gerontological Planning Associates. Hobart C. Jackson, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Executive Vice President, Stephen Smith Geriatric Center and Administrator of the Stephen Smith Home for the Aged. Mr. Jackson was the founder of the Caucus of the Black Aged and presently serves as Chairman. Garson Meyer, of Rochester, New York, former Chief Chemist, Eastman Kodak and the President Emeritus of the National Council on the Aging. Bernard E. Nash, of Camp Springs, Maryland, Executive Director of the National Retired Teachers Association and the American Association of Retired Persons. EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. The Commissioner on Aging. ITEM 18. FEDERAL ENERGY ADMINISTRATION MARCH 5, 1975. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: During 1974, the Federal Energy Administration has taken several steps to address the energy related problems of the aged. The following is a list of actions directed specifically at the aging: 1. The Office of Consumer Affairs/Special Impact of FEA in conjunction with the Administration on Aging and ACTION conducted a survey to examine the effects of increased gasoline costs on volunteers who offer driving services for aging programs. The results of that study were discussed before the Senate Special Committee on Aging on September 25, 1974. 2. The Director of the Office of Consumer Aflairs/Special Impact has been selected to represent FEA on a sub-cabinet level Task Force on Aging, which is chaired by Commissioner Flemming of the Administration on Aging. Through work with the Task Force, FEA has outlined to other Federal agencies the energy related problems of the aged. 3. FEA has entered into two interdepartmental working agreements with the Administration on Aging and several other Federal agencies. The working agreements address energy conservation actions for the aged as well as information and referral services for the aged. The following actions are being taken by FEA to implement these working agreements: -FEA will direct the attention of the State Offices of Petroleum Allocation to the interdepartmental working agreements and recommend that they make available, on an ongoing basis, information about fuel allocation and energy policies to State and Area Agencies on Aging. -FEA will send letters to State and local energy task forces encouraging them to assign representatives from consumer and older persons' organizations to the task forces. -FEA will assist all Regional, State and Area Agencies on Aging by providing technical advice, educational and training material which includes model programs for the training of persons involved in the winterization of buildings that are owned and occupied by the low income elderly. -FEA will also provide regional orientation sessions on fuel allocation and energy policies to the Regional, State and Area Agencies on Aging. 4. FEA has developed legislation for the President which proposes to provide subsidies for insulation and other thermal home improvements to the homes of the poor and elderly. 5. Presently, the Office of Consumer Affairs/Special Impact of FEA is conducting a study of the impact of rising energy costs upon the aged through a contract with Applied Management Sciences, Inc. of Silver Spring, Maryland. A preliminary report of the study was completed on February 10, 1975, and has been submitted to you for review and comment before the final version of the report is published. This study will be used over the next year as a basis for determining policy options and recommendations concerning the energy related problems of the aging. I hope that these comments will assist you in drafting the Annual Report for the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Sincerely, FRANK G. ZARB, Administrator. ITEM 19. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION FEBRUARY 21, 1975. DEAR SENATOR CHURCH: This letter is in response to your request of December 20, 1974, for a report summarizing the Federal Trade Commission's major activities on aging during 1974 and providing you with information as to our plans for 1975. Although none of our laws are specifically directed to the aged, as a matter of policy, both the staff and the Commission regard that segment of the population as particularly vulnerable to fraud and deception and are increasingly aware of often pressing economic plight of such Americans. We are therefore concerned with developing programs with that in mind so that to the extent possible, we can contribute to improving the quality of life of such older Americans. The following programs are of that sort. 1. The Proposed Trade Regulation Rule on Food Advertising. The purposes of the proposed rule are to increase the ability of consumers, including the elderly, to make more informed choices between foods for nutritional reasons, and also to compare nutritional values to costs. 2. The Hearing Aid Cases and Investigation Regarding Possible Proposed Trade Regulation Rule on Hearing Aid Sales Practices. Six complaints were issued against the nation's largest hearing aid manufacturers, charging that their advertising practices are deceptive and unfair. The staff of the Bureau of Consumer Protection is also conducting an investigation regarding a possible proposed Trade Regulation Rule for the Hearing Aid industry. It should be noted that the Commission has not had an opportunity to consider any proposal. Should the proposal be approved by the Commission, of course, a comment period would be provided and subsequently, hearings would be held to allow the fullest expression of views by those affected by the proposed rule. 3. Denture Product Advertising. Pursuant to the advertising substantiation program, two major companies were required to submit substantiation concerning advertising claims for denture cleaning products and a denture adhesive. The Food Nutrition program will continue in 1975. The proceedings, including extensive hearings and analysis of the full record of those proceedings for the proposed Food Rule, will require a substantial commitment of resources. The Hearing Aid Rule, if proposed, will also be in process during 1975. I hope this information will prove helpful. Please call upon me or the staff if you need further information or further details. Sincerely, J. THOMAS ROSCH, Director. ITEM 20. NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON ADULT EDUCATION FEBRUARY 10, 1975. DEAR SENATOR CHURCH: The National Advisory Council on Adult Education welcomes the opportunity to provide adult education information for your Senatorial Special Committee on Aging. As a Council, we have reviewed and utilized the committee report (93-846) in our building of legislative specifications and providing advice to program planners at the federal, state, and local levels. As you are aware from your exposure to public school adult education programs and community school thrusts in Idaho, the local school districts in concert with other community agencies have assumed a great deal of responsibility in providing learning enrichment activities for older citizens. The Federal Adult Education Act (P.L. 91-230) with its new amendments (P.L. 93–380) gives impetus to education programs which are applicable in addressing some problems of the aged and aging. We draw attention to provisions of the Federal Adult Education Act in these specific sections: SEC. 302. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE It is the purpose of this title to expand educational opportunity and encourage the establishment of programs of adult public education that will enable all adults to continue their education to at least the level of completion of secondary school and make available the means to secure training that will enable them to become more employable, productive, and responsible citizens. SEC. 303. DEFINITIONS (a) The term "adult" means any individual who has attained the age of sixteen. (b) The term "adult education" means services or instruction below the college level (as determined by the Commissioner), for adults who— (1) do not have a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education and who have not achieved an equivalent level of education, and (2) are not currently required to be enrolled in schools. (c) The term "adult basic education" means adult education for adults whose inability to speak, read, or write the English language constitutes a substantial impairment of their ability to get or retain employment commensurate with their real ability, which is designed to help eliminate such inability and raise the level of education of such individuals with a view to making them less likely to become dependent on others, to improving their ability to benefit from occupational training and otherwise increasing their opportunities for more productive and profitable employment, and to making them better able to meet their adult responsibilities. (e) The term "community school program" is a program in which a public building, including but not limited to a public elementary or secondary school or a community or junior college, is used as a community center operated in conjunction with other groups in the community, community organizations, and local governmental agencies, to provide educational, recreational, cultural, and other related community services for the community that center serves in accordance with the needs, interests, and concerns of that community. You will note in further reviewing the Adult Education Act that state plan provisions allow the distribution of funds to local education units on a cost sharing basis, 90/10, and that local units can establish or expand adult education programs. This permits preretirement programs, senior citizen enrichment and leisure time activities, or career renewal thrusts that would accomplish the purposes of the Act. There is also provision in the law and the state plan program for Special Experimental Demonstration projects (Section 309) which could be directed to the interests of senior citizens. Section 310 of the Federal Adult Education Act (Special Projects for the Elderly) which authorizes the U.S. Commissioner of Education to make grants providing educational programs for elderly persons whose ability to speak and read the English language has not been funded. Just last week, the National Advisory Council on Adult Education released A Target Population in Adult Education which will constitute the core of the Council's Annual Report to the President. The President will forward the Annual Report to Congress in March. In light of the time frames for your committee report, the Council is pleased to forward you a copy of this report. We recommend its review by the staff of the Special Committee on Aging, and the use of the many sections of the report that apply to older Americans. The target population of adult education is a very diverse group, cutting across all sectors of the American society. However, the problems of some specific groups warrant special attention. One group is the older part of the population with below-the-norm school attainment. Since the younger part of the population is the one caught up in the more recent advances in school attainment, it is not surprising to find that a very disproportionate part of the older age groups are the ones with lower levels of schooling. More than one out of every four persons found to have less than 12 years of school and not enrolled in school in 1970 were 65 years of age and over; the adjacent age group 45 to 64 years of age accounted for another 38 percent of the total. Moreover, for both of these age groups, the concentration of people with very low levels of school attainment, e.g., no more than an elementary school education, was particularly heavy. Some suggest minimizing resources for these persons because many of them will be leaving the work force through death and retirement. Here are three major countervailing points. The first is the fact that there is indeed mounting evidence of earlier retirement, particularly among men. This has been a factor in bringing about a major reversal in trend in recent years, i.e., a decline in the length of working life among men. Adult education can enrich and often make useful to society the retirement years. The second is a phenomenon more related to work. There is a very substantial number of persons in this country who do much needed volunteer work, especially in the fields of health, education, and social welfare. Some years ago, in fact, they performed the equivalent work of 900,000 full time, paid labor force members. Volunteer work prevails most among those with higher levels of schooling. Adult education can help people in these age groups direct their energies to such volunteer work. The third is even more work related. We note the connection between schooling and labor force participation. Nowhere is this connection more vivid than among older citizens. Among men 55-64 years of age, only about 70 out of every 100 with no more than eight years of school are still in the labor force as against 85 out of 100 for those who have finished high school. For the former group, the decline in worker rates during the past décade amounted to 13 percent, for the latter (with 12 years of school) it was less than half of that. Schooling does make a big difference. Adult education can make the critical difference permitting the older person to have the option of continued economic activity. Therefore, the Council urges that special attention be paid to the older person in adult education programs. Other sections of the enclosed report provide client information and demographic traits associated with elderly persons. These sections should be reviewed and pertinent information abstracted. Certainly, the Federal Adult Education Act and other federal program thrusts, i.e., higher education community service, Older Americans Act, CETA, manpower programs, etc., are not the only educational programs which may provide learning opportunities for senior citizens. It has been recently noted by the Commission on Non Traditional Study that 32 million Americans undertook some form of adult education this past year. Public schools, community junior colleges, institutions of higher education, labor, and business and industry provide programs which have senior citizen opportunities. In addition, community political subdivisions and community organizations provide programs and facilities which can be capitalized on by the senior citizen. Our Council strongly believes that our nation is the loser if we do not utilize the knowledge and skills possessed by millions of older citizens. These talented, untapped individuals with the advantages of life experience, specialized knowledge and skills, and the rare commodity of time are in a position to be of real service to society on environmental problems, economics, working with dropouts, tutoring, health services, and consultive work with business and industry. We believe that our education system should not only provide services for senior citizens, but should also employ their talents. There is evidence today that American education is finding new ways of involving these citizens in setting up task forces and advisory council structures that tap the knowledge and skills of the aging and aged. We are hopeful that this information and the Council's target population report will facilitate the focus of a spotlight on adult education as a resource for the senior citizen and in the study of various problems faced by your Special Committee on Aging. Sincerely yours, GARY A. EYRE, Executive Director. ITEM 21. NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS FEBRUARY 14, 1975. DEAR SENATOR CHURCH: This is in response to your request for a statement about the major activities for the aging undertaken by the Endowment through our grant programs and projects in 1974 and 1975. I am enclosing a summary statement on these activities for your reference in preparing the Special Committee on Aging's Annual Report to the Senate. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or need any more supporting data. I hope that this information is helpful to you. My very best, [Enclosure] NANCY HANKS, Chairman. A REPORT TO THE SENATE SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE AGING SUMMARIZING THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES IN THIS AREA BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS DURING FISCAL YEAR 1974 AND CONTINUING IN FISCAL YEAR 1975 Within the last 5 years, the scope of the programs assisted by the National Endowment for the Arts has been expanded to include a variety of community arts involvements which support the artist in new ways and help to broaden the audiences reached by these programs. Often opportunities for participation in the arts by the young, the elderly, the disadvantaged and our ethnically diverse population have been radically changed and enlarged through these programs. Those involving senior citizens have been organized with particular sensitivity |