Healthy Aging Grants Program Benefits Older Ohioans

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new grant program is designed to empower Ohioans to thrive as they age.

Administered by the Ohio Department of Aging, the state’s new Healthy Aging Grants program is providing $40 million to support aging services focused on helping Ohioans age 60 and older stay healthy, live longer and maintain their independence.

“Ohioans want to live well as they grow older. They want to live in their homes, around their family and close friends, while remaining vibrant and active contributors to their communities,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “The local programs strengthened by our new Healthy Aging Grants will make this level of vitality and autonomy possible for more older adults across our state and is key to achieving our vision of making Ohio the best place to age in the nation.”

Healthy Aging Grants are being distributed to counties in every area of the state to bolster critical aging supports, such as food and housing assistance, as well as internet access and digital literacy services.

Healthy Aging funds are designed to be flexible and can be used to promote a number of additional services that align with Ohio’s 2023-2026 State Plan on Aging, such as nutrition and physical activity, health insurance enrollment, minor home repairs, caregiver support, transportation and more.

“Healthy Aging will support evidence-based preventive services in the home and community that have been demonstrated to be impactful in allowing Ohioans to age on their own terms, in their preferred environment, and often prevent the need for people to move into institutional care settings,” said Ursel J. McElroy, director of the Ohio Department of Aging.

A total of 85 Ohio counties are currently participating in the Healthy Aging Grants program. Once applications are approved, each county will receive a base amount of $100,000, with additional funding provided based on the number of county residents age 60 and older who are not enrolled in Medicaid.

“We are ready to make healthy aging a reality for older Ohioans everywhere,” McElroy said.

More information about the program is available HERE.

Pictured at top: Photo by Marcus Aurelius. (pexels.com)

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.