DiNitto and Cummins (2005) define social welfare policy as “anything a government chooses to do, or not to do, that affects the quality of life of its people” (p. 50). Those authors also state that policy creation should be rational, but they agree that is the idea, not often the reality. However, hard evidence does exist for some forms of benefits: "Social welfare policies seem to have helped reduce both absolute and relative poverty" (Kenworthy, 1999, p. 1125). Additionally, Katz (2004) observes that “America’s welfare state delivers more of its benefits through the private sector than does the welfare state of any other nation” (487). This is true with regards to the OAA since many of the benefits, such as preparation of food for both congregate meals and Meals on Wheels must be contracted out to private firms, although the delivery is done by the Area Agencies on Aging. It is hard to measure most outcomes provided by the OAA since many benefits values are not easily measured. While it is true that the number of meals delivered and served can be counted, it is difficult to assess the social and emotional value of those meals that may exist beyond the nutritional value that was provided. For those areas that can be defined and measured, the OAA’s Performance Plan and Report, January 2004 (Executive Summary, n.d.) gives a great amount of budgetary detail and provides goals through the year 2007.

     Dolgoff (1999) admits that the lofty goals of social justice may not support social welfare in the long term since "social justice -at this time- casts no votes and hires few lobbyists" (p. 298). Budgets change as do leaderships within political boundaries. Social justice needs to find a solid basis in economic terms to hope for long-term success. Dolgoff (1999) suggests five economical benefits that flow from social justice: "1- Human capital, 2- Social benefits, 3- Social and moral cohesion, 4- Economic benefits, and 5- Civility and aesthetics" (pp. 299-304).

     Most would view the human capital concept as fairly lacking in the OAA programs, thinking that all services are for the enjoyment of retired people. However, they would be missing the fact that OAA has many human capital programs, including the RSVP program which encourages seniors to serve seniors (thus saving tax dollars) and the employment program which helps employ seniors as well as two programs usually administered through the OAA but not really a part of it: the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs that economically lift very low income seniors through their participation of 20 hours a week (Atchley, 2000).

     Many Americans with older relatives who get involved with the Senior Citizen Centers would recognize the social benefits and the resulting health benefits of the OAA. The civility and aesthetics would be recognized in the activities and crafts that the senior centers provide. Studies have shown that isolation is costly in Medicare and Medicaid dollars (Executive Summary, n.d.). The centers have health screenings and are geared towards getting seniors together, including providing them transportation. They even help seniors get pen pals by helping them get online (mainly through Senior Net) as a way of improving health. This saves tax dollars that would go into health expenditures. Atchley (2000) suggests that seniors who avail themselves of these activities and services may end up sick or in the hospital at one third the rate of seniors who do not use the services. Social and moral cohesion has also been somewhat achieved through the OAA as the general population feels that the older persons have programs to take care of them.
     After considering the long-term weakness of using political ideology to justify the long-term needs of social welfare, Dolgoff (1999) suggests that a capitalist value model might work better. In summarizing the work of Furnis and Tilton (1977), of Goodin (1988) and of Tobin (1970), Dolgoff (1999) listed the following humanitarian reasons for social welfare:

        1. Market failures should be remedied and everyone should be brought

 

         to a social minimum.

        2- Social welfare should protect the interests of those who are not in a

 

        position to protect themselves. It is the moral duty of the strong to

 

        protect the weak.

        3- Social welfare's function is to limit the domain of inequality. Greater

 

        equality is necessary, therefore resources should be redistributed and the

 

        society should aim at social equality, an end in itself.

        4- Social solidarity and a sense of community are good things (p. 297).

     The OAA does meet the first definition of the reason for humanitarian aid. Most older adults are retired and on fixed incomes. Changes in property taxes, the economy and in other areas can be difficult for older people. When finances get very tight, older people often go without food rather than go without medicine (Atchley, 2000). Although a disproportionate ratio of politicians are older adults themselves, studies suggest that they do not automatically pass legislation that benefits older Americans (Hooyman and Kiyak, 2005). The OAA and its amendments with the every ten year White House Conference on Aging have helped keep the needs of the elderly in better focus than would be otherwise. With the passage of various pieces of legislation since 1935 that target older adults, the data suggest that they are now about even with the overall financial situation found in America: some are very poor, some are very rich, but most follow a similar economic path to the average standard of living (Hooyman and Kiyak, 2005). Most Americans approve of the funding and services for the elderly as a way to be relieved of the burden themselves (Atchley, 2000)