Summary

GAO discussed the Administration on Aging's (AOA) provision of technical assistance for the targeting of minorities in federal and state programs and services. GAO noted that: (1) 8 of the 10 regional offices GAO surveyed reported that they provided large amounts of assistance to elderly persons in socioeconomic need and to minority elderly; (2) none of the regional offices provided the same level of technical assistance to help state units collect demographic data about elderly populations in their geographic area; (3) states reported having unmet needs for technical assistance to target elderly persons in socioeconomic need, minority elderly, and collect demographic data about elderly populations in their areas; (4) states indicated a need for more technical assistance for outreach initiatives to low-income and minority elders, demographic data, and the performance of needs assessments; and (5) states identified technical assistance needs regarding data collection, interpretation of legislation, policies, and regulations, and monitoring of plans and contracts.