Aging Services Division and
Nevada Commission on Aging
Agency History
Programs for the elderly in the United States were first authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1965 with passage of the Older Americans Act (with subsequent revisions). The Nevada Division for Aging Services was established by the Nevada State Legislature in 1971 with passage of Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 427A. The Division's major function is to develop, implement, and coordinate programs for Nevada's seniors. The Division is also the primary advocate for Nevada's elders.
The Division was initially organized into area agencies for Washoe and Clark Counties, and a state area agency to administer the balance of state aging programs. In 1976 the U.S. Commissioner on Aging authorized the reorganization of the state into a single planning and service area to increase efficiency and accountability, and to eliminate duplicate administrative costs. Division offices were established in Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City, and Elko. Overall, the division is divided into four administrative units: grants management, elder rights, community-based care, and fiscal management. The Division is funded by block grants from the Older Americans' Act, the Medicaid Waiver program, and from the Nevada General Fund.
The Commission on Aging is the policy making body for the Division and was established in 1983 by NRS 427A.032. It is comprised of eleven voting members appointed by the Governor. Four members are selected from the governing bodies of city and county government. At least six of the Commission voting members must be 55 years of age and older and have an interest in or knowledge of problems and concerns of older individuals. The Director of the Department of Human Resources serves as chairperson. The Administrator of the Division for Aging is also a member; both the Director and the Administrator are non-voting members. In addition, two non-voting members are selected from the Nevada Legislature by the Legislative Commission; one is an elected Assemblyman and the other an elected State Senator. The Commission meets quarterly.
According to the NRS, the duties of the Commission on Aging are to:
-Determine and evaluate the needs of the older people of Nevada,
-Seek ways to avoid unnecessary duplication of services for older persons by public and private organizations in Nevada,
-Establish priorities for the work of the Division according to the most pressing needs of older persons as determined by the Commission,
-Promote programs that provide community-based services necessary to enable a frail elder person, to the fullest extent possible, to remain in his or her home and to be an integral part of their family and community,
-Establish priorities for programs funded under the Older American Act,
-Review and approve the State plan for providing services to meet the needs of older persons,
-Gather and disseminate information in the field of aging,
-Conduct hearings, conferences, and special studies on the problems of elder persons and programs which serve them,
-Evaluate existing programs, recommend needed changes, and propose new programs that would effectively and economically serve the needs of older persons,
-Evaluate any proposed legislation that would affect older persons, and
-Coordinate and assist the efforts of public and private organizations that serve the needs of older persons.
RECORDS OF THE DIVISION OF AGING SERVICES 66.5 cubic feet 1971-2003
Administrative Records 11 cubic feet 1974-2000
The administrative records include files of the division administrator and deputy administrator, correspondence, state plans for aging programs, Attorney General opinions, legislation, press releases, speeches, needs assessment surveys and reports, and subject files for special events related to aging. The subject files include: the Senior Samaritan Awards; Senior Olympics, 1987-1998; White House Conferences on Aging, 1971, 1980-1981; Lake Tahoe Wellness Conference, 1987; and the Governor's Conferences on Aging, 1978-1997.
The administrative records came to the Nevada State Archives at various times and from several sources within the agency so there is no consistent order to the record series. An in-house database is available for staff to search.
Project Files 51.5 cubic feet 1971-1999
This series documents grants awarded to Nevada local governments, civic organizations, and private social services agencies to deliver services to Nevada's elderly population. The types of grants included nutrition and meal programs, transportation, legal aid, construction or repair of senior centers, commodities distribution, conferences and workshops on administering programs for the elderly, senior employment, homemaker services, adult day care centers, minor home repair and maintenance, and foster grandparents. Documents included in this series vary but generally include grant applications, notifications of awards, final audit reports, assessment and monitoring reports, and some correspondence. The series is arranged overall by year and within each year by project or grant number. An in-house database finding aid is available.
Nevada Commission on Aging Records 3 cubic feet 1983-2003
Records of the Commission on Aging consist of Commission meeting packets. Each packet generally contains agendas, minutes of previous meetings, reports, and statistical summaries about state aging programs. These files were transferred to the State Archives at various times and from several sources so there is some overlap. Some files are more complete than others.
AGING-0025 1983-1986
AGING-0057 1985-1988
AGING-0042 1989-1992
AGING-0066 1995-1998
AGING-0065 1997-2003
AGING-0067 1999-2000
Advisory Boards and Commissions 1 cubic foot 1973-1993
The Nevada Commission on Aging is the policy making body for the Division of Aging Services but it was not established by the Legislature until 1983. Prior to that time several advisory commissions existed that reflected the Division's organization into service areas. Since creation of the Commission on Aging, other advisory groups have worked with the Division, including: Advisory Commission for the Nevada State Division of Aging Services, 1973-1981; Advisory Commission to the Office of the Division of Aging Services for Northern Nevada, 1978-1988; Advisory Commission to the Las Vegas Office of the Division of Aging Services, 1981-1983; the Advisory Commission to the University of Nevada Gerontology Center, 1986-1988; and Older Americans Programs Advisory Council for Northern Nevada and Older Americans Programs Advisory Council for Southern Nevada, 1989-1993. The dates provided indicate the range of dates for records in this collection.
The records of these organizations consist of some correspondence and meeting packets. AGING-0023, AGING-0026, AGING-0027.
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