I saw some of you know the overall objective. As set forth in the older Americans act for this national network is to provide a coordinated comprehensive system services for older person. And I might say right at the outside, but there is no question in my mind at all. But that included in the authority. Set forth and not app. Is Artistic service we talk very often about Homemaker home health aide Services nutrition services transportation services. Home repair services and so on. It's a long list. But there isn't any doubt in my mind at all, but that the services that you will be thinking about and talking about in connection with this conference are included in our mandate and there isn't any doubt in my mind at all. But the funds that are appropriated under the older Americans act can be utilized for services in this area. Just as I can be utilized for services in other areas. All right, How does the network operate just very briefly and what are these are points of Entry? First of all every year the governor must submit to us a plan for the upcoming 12 months. What happens before that plan is submitted is very significant. It's developed by a state Agency on Aging. But once they've worked it out on a tentative basis, they must consult the state advisory Council on Aging then there must be a public hearing or hearings. Then there must be further consultation with the state advisory Council on Aging and and then the governor can make his decision and submit the plan to the administration on Aging. Once we receive the plan we decide whether or not we can approve it as submitted or whether we think possibly some changes should be made if we arrive at the ladder conclusion, then we getting involved in a dialogue with the state. But once we've approved the plan, then the funds that have been appropriated under the older Americans Act. Become available to the state. Once the funds have been allocated to the state. The state is then in a position where it can do business with the area agencies on aging and with nutrition project agency. These bodies have a responsibility of developing a plan once a year. Before their plan and budget can be submitted to the state Agency on Aging there must be consultation with the appropriate advisory. Likewise there must be a public hearing at the area level. Then when they have finally decided on the plan in the budget that they want to operate under they submit it to the state. And the state agency has the responsibility of approving or modifying or disapproving the budget and that's it. The federal government does not get involved at all as far as the area budgets are concerned. Tomato drawing on my experience over the years in the field of government the concept back of this state local network on Aging is a rather unique concept. As you can see, I think the we really have what some people referred to as Bottoms Up planning. The significance takes place at the area level and then is reflected in the development of the area budget or the nutrition project agency budget as the case may be. Alright. Thanks. We you can see where some of these points of Entry are, I guess first of all though. I should identify the resources that are available. Back in the office Calera 1972 the total amount of money that the federal government could use for the purpose of helping States and Community provide services was around 42 million dollars we have now started the fiscal year 1977. And for the first time in the history of the administration on Aging we have an appropriation bill at the beginning of the fiscal year fact. I think it's almost the first time in the history of the department of health education and Welfare that we've had an appropriation bill at the beginning of the fiscal year and this it becomes very very significant. Well, we've got a little over four hundred midget about 405 million so that in a fairly short. Of time, there's been a tenfold increase in the amount of money that we could allocate to the states and to the communities for the purpose of developing these service. I'm not like to think about the points of Entry here are citizens in a States citizens in a community that are very much interested in the Arts, but they're very much interested in building bridges between the Arts and the field of Aging. Well, the first thing that they ought to try to make sure of is that they have at least one if not more Representatives on the state advisory Council commission. They go by different name, but certainly there oughta be someone on that particular body or hopefully more than one person who has a deep-seated and person in a relay Lee Fields of aging and the Arts. These bodies must have it or at least have other persons on these bodies must be consumers. That is they must be older person. And then also there must be adequate representation of minority groups. But in addition to being interested and having a Representatives on The Advisory Group, it seems to me that those who are interested in the Arts and interested in building these Bridges should become acquainted when the state plans as they are developed from year to year and if in the Judgment of those who are concerned with the Arts inadequate attention is being given to the state plan. You ought to make an appearance at the public hearings and then on the phone that there should be a more meaningful attention given to the opportunities which exists in pulling these two areas together. That's at the state level. But now let's go down to the area level because in many respects that's where the action is the state government manages these program. There isn't any question about that at all under the law and from the standpoint of the federal government. We tried to keep underlining the fact at all times, but the managers of the programs are the state agency. But the process begins down there at the area level. There are area advisory councils. Are there persons on these area advisory councils will have a deep-seated interest and concern for Building Bridges between these two areas if not pressure should be exerting so that there is such representation on these advisory Council. Then there are the public hearings that take place every year and those public hearings are built around a plan and a budget. Do those who are concerned about these interracial relationships field but there's adequate relation to the opportunities for interrelationships. Do they feel that there are adequate sums of money included in the Appliance in order to facilitate a movement toward the kind of an objective that all of us are interested in today. There are tremendous possibilities. For almost simultaneous movement throughout the country in the direction of building these interrelationships the movements the movement may be a modest one from the standpoint of the amount of money that an Area Agency for example feels that it can invest in this area. Although the overall total is rather impressive but four hundred million dollars, when you divide that point of all of the states states and turn then divided among five hundred area agencies in 800 nutrition project agencies. You can see that none of the local bodies are wealthy by any means but on the other hand they are in a position where they could help. Initiate a Cooperative effort between the Arts and the Aging at the local level a lot depends on their will a lot depends on their interest and a lot depends on the kind of educational process, which they may be subjected by those who are deeply concerned with the Arts, but the possibilities are there. leaders national network on Aging also have some obligations he up to now I've been stressing the importance of those who are interested in the Arts identifying these points of entry and taking advantage of them, but this should be a two-way street. the leaders State advisory Council zagari advisory Council the heads of state agencies the head of area agencies have an obligation to seek out those who are responsible for work in the Arts who are responsible for the network on the Arts whether you're dealing with State consoles on Arts are local councils on the ark They have an obligation to seek out. The network on the Arts because older person me the services that can be provided by those who are working in the Arts. I'm from many points of view. They need these Services even more desperately than they need some other services that are clearly recognized services. That should be made available to older person. They need them because these are the kinds of services which is I indicated in the beginning can help them push back their Horizons. Likewise older persons need the opportunities that can and I believe should be provided by the arts for continued involvement in life. Those who are here from the field of Aging no. I regret this area way up at the top of any list of priorities leads to Rapid mental physical and spiritual deterioration older persons need to have opportunities for continued involvement in a significant way in the life of our day in the Arts can provide many many opportunities along this life in addition to this. older person our society needs the kind of contribution that older persons can make and there are many here who can spell out far more effectively than I can what kind of contributions that older persons can make to the Arts? My approach to life is that everyday we live? We are. Working against a potential as far as our own lives are concerned. And the question is are we going to be able to have opportunities which will make it possible for us to contribute to life? in accordance with our potential and there is a potential for contribution right down to the last day of life. And it seems to me that. Older persons need to have opportunities open up in the field of the Arts for continued in on their part. I indicated at the beginning. That I felt that older persons could make a significant contribution. To strengthening the foundations on which support for the Arts rest. Your phone or persons become the recipients of services in the field of Art. If older persons become involved in the Arts themselves older persons can emerge as the most effective advocates in the half of the Arts at the state and local level. the capacity of older persons to serve as advocates and don't discount the fact that many persons who make decisions in the public sector and also the private sector are learning to pay attention to older persons as advocates. That's a couple of weeks ago or maybe less than that. Some of us participated in a nationwide conference on aging and Community Education. And as we know many many times in the communities of our nation older persons feel that they're completely separate from the public education system of the community recognizes that responsibility for Parsons at all stages in life including older persons. And if they relate to the needs of older persons and give older persons the opportunity to serve these public education systems, they are developing a group of advocate in behalf of Education that can become very meaningful and parts the arts move right over into this whole area of Community Education. I'm talking about two areas at a funeral with one another constantly. I've been talkin about the state and I've been talkin about the local level. I believe that those of us on the national level. Should work. On meeting the needs that exist in this area for technical assistance. It is technical assistant designed to build Bridges between the Arts and the field of 80. Some steps I've been taken in this direction the National Council on Aging as a result of the support of the in town has found it possible to make initial to take initial steps in the direction of providing this technical assistant. We have made a grant to organization that here in St. Paul, which is I understand has now reached the place where they can distribute to the rest of us a handbook on the Arts in the elderly. Like my understanding is it's to be distributed here didn't get to Washington yet. So I haven't had the opportunity of reading it but I understand that you are going to have the opportunity of reading it then it seems to me as I Take a look at the total area that here is an area where we need a state-of-the-art document because every time I talk about these possibilities I get questions or I get letters from people saying look for doing something about it. And here's what we're doing and able to capture and record what is going on all over the country and indicate how it's being done. And what kind of results are being itchy As I think of the network on Aging I feel that our major responsibilities at the federal level is to provide technical assistance to the states and through the state to the area and nutrition project agencies to me that is our mission. We're not managers of the network but states are the managers but we do have the opportunity of working with them and helping them and helping the area agencies on the nutrition project agency to do an increasingly effective job. I guess I understand the approach of the endowment to its total responsibility is it feels that there is a responsible for technical assistant? A one of the things that we do at the federal level in order to bring about a more effective pooling of resources for older person and an order to provide better technical assistance is to develop working agreements with other departments and agencies sign on working very well. Some of them working quite well some of them not working nearly as well as we would like but this is our approach to trying to bring about a more effective coordination of the resources of the federal government. I must have straight and I hadn't breakfast the other morning and after I left right after it broke up, it occurred to me I missed an opportunity should have suggested to him the possibility of the administration on aging and the endowment developing a working agreement a working agreement, which would have a zit subjected alerting our respective networks to the opportunities that exist in this particular area and which would also result in Cooperative relationships and turn of developing technical assistance to both of the network as they think in terms of building these Bridges between the Arts and the field of Aging. Some of us underlining Andrea emphasizing a goal that we believe should be uppermost in the minds of all the work in the field of aging and that is what the last days of older persons shall prove to be their best day. And that is not an unattainable goal as far as our nation is concerned that goal is being reached in many many lives throughout our nation at the present time. And I know of no effort that could do more to achieve that goal. then an End Cooperative by the area of the Arts and the area of the aging and as you start this conference, I just want to say I personally I will do everything I can to make it possible for the administration on Aging to provide leadership that will Result in a closely-knit partnership between the Arts and the Aging I appreciate your willingness to respond to this invitation and to give the time that you're going to get to an in-depth exploration of the possibility. I will look forward to your recommendations.