Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY (March 11, 2021) – Aging Services, a division of Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) dedicated to developing systems that support independence and quality of life for older Oklahomans and protecting vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect and exploitation, announced today a name change to Community Living, Aging and Protective Services to better reflect their services and supports across the lifespan.
“We are proud of this new name that best describes the many programs and services we offer to keep older or vulnerable Oklahomans better connected and thriving in their own communities,” said Jeromy Buchanan, Community Living, Aging and Protective Services director. “Our services ensure the well-being and stability of our customers in their own homes, or support and advocacy for them while they are in institutional settings. We are dedicated to protecting independence for our customers while also protecting the safety of vulnerable adults, and are thankful for the many partners who join us in our work.”
This name change takes effect immediately, and efforts have begun to rebrand the division across all mediums and assets. There is no associated cost for these changes.
About Community Living, Aging and Protective Services:
In 2020, Adult Protective Services merged under Aging Services to align resources and services for vulnerable adults under one umbrella. Later that year, the program launched an elder abuse prevention campaign to provide educational resources and a robust partner toolkit to ensure Oklahomans could recognize and report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of vulnerable adults.
The newly named Community Living, Aging and Protective Services better represents the robust services and supports offered to Oklahomans. This includes State Plan Personal Care (SPPC), a Medicaid service that helps individuals, from children through aging adults, with daily living activities at home, as well as a Respite Voucher Program to allow caregivers of older persons a break when they need it most. Older Americans Act Services include congregate and home-delivered meals, transportation and other programs provided through contracts with 11 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to provide these services free of charge to Oklahomans 60 years of age and older. Other programs include ADvantage, which provides Medicaid services to help people stay at home instead of going to a nursing home, financial help for Medicare and medicines and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program that serves residents in Oklahoma’s long-term care facilities, just to name a few.
To learn more about or apply for any of the services available through Community Living, Aging and Protective Services, visit the Older Adults section of https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs.html.