Partner readiness ensures evidence-based programs and services prioritize participant safety, maintain data quality and sustainability, and align with the Older Americans Act (OAA)’s goals to serve individuals with the greatest social and economic need.

Partnership opportunities under the OAA

The OAA ensourages partnerships with a range of entitites. The law itself states:

• “The Assistant Secretary shall...promote partnerships among aging services, community-based organizations, and Medicare and Medicaid providers, plans, and health including public health systems.” (Older Americans Act, Section 202(a)(5), Page 131)

And also:

• “Programs may partner with a variety of local entities including senior centers, Veterans Affairs (VA) organizations, health departments, and other community sites capable of delivering services.” (Older Americans Act, Section 202(a)(5), Page 131)

The OAA emphasizes reaching individuals in priority pouplations—those who have the greatest social and economic need:

• “Give preference to… organizations that will serve older individuals and communities with the greatest need, with particular attention to low-income individuals, older individuals with limited English proficiency, older individuals residing in rural areas…” (Older Americans Act, Section 202(a)(5), Page 131)

For example, your organization might be planning to implement virtual programs. But many of the older adults in your community have limited technological skills. You could partner with your local high school, pairing student volunteers with older adults. The result: older adults become more comfortable with the technology platform your program will use, and the students gain valuable multigenerational experience. This partnership has no additional cost while likely supporting educational requirements for the students.

In Title III-D: Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Services, the OAA states that “programs must be evidence-based and can be delivered by community-based organizations that contract with Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs).” (Older Americans Act, Page 131)

What makes a partner "Ready"? A practical checklist

To assess a partner's readiness, consider the following:

1. Licensing and Agreements
   Evidence-based program license agreements in place to deliver the program(s)
2. Leadership and Staffing
   Site identified
   Staff and volunteers trained
   Clear staff roles and responsibilities
3. Technology and IT Readiness (for virtual programs)
   Virtual meeting platform access (e.g. Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, etc.), IT support and comfort with virtual delivery
4. Program Operations and Logistics
   Ability to host, promote, and support program delivery
5. Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement
   Participation in performance reviews and willingness to meet fidelity standards

Tools and resources for readiness assessment

Partner tracking and evaluation tools

• Delta Health’s Partner Tracking Tool (Dashboard for tracking site status, agreements, readiness metrics)
• NCOA’s Community Partner Directory and Tools of vetted partners

Public health and community toolboxes resources

• Texas A&M Digital Technology Screening Questions
• University of Kansas Community Tool Box: Community Readiness

Templates and checklists

• NCOA Partnership Assessment Tool which provides a method for assessing key areas of your network including partnership alignment, organization culture integration, network construction (infrastructure), and defining responsibilities
• The Aging and Disability Business Institute Readiness Assessment tool is designed to help organizations gauge their current level of healthcare partnership readiness.
• Partnership Agreement Templates
• Virtual Delivery Capability Checklist

Leveraging partners for falls prevention

Falls prevention is a major focus of Title III-D funding. With the right partners, programs can reach high-risk older adults with proven strategies that reduce fall risk.

Roles for partners

• Host evidence-based falls prevention programs (e.g., Tai Chi, A Matter of Balance, and Bingocize)
• Market programs and recruit participants, particularly to underserved groups
• Provide instructors or trained leaders
• Offer follow-up and support services

Programs Should Reinforce NCOA’s 6 Steps to Prevent a Fall:

1. Wear safe footwear
2. Get vision checks
3. Engage in physical activity
4. Improve home safety
5. Manage medication
6. Get screened for fall risk

Next Steps for programs and partners

• Use the readiness checklist to assess current or potential partners
• Provide tools and training to help partners prepare
• Track progress with a partner dashboard
• Celebrate success and build on what works
• Engage in capacity-building
  • Attend NCOA and AAA trainings
  • Access technical assistance
• Form partnerships and track progress
  • Set clear goals and review performance

“The Assistant Secretary shall evaluate… the effectiveness of such activities; the impact on the community… and the impact on older individuals participating in such projects.” (Older Americans Act, Section 202(a)(5), Page 131)

Additional resources and references

• Best Practices Clearinghouse for Health Promotion Programs: Strategic Partnerships
• NCOA Map of Partners and Programs
• OAA Title III-D statutory and regulatory language

This project was supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $5,000,000 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.