Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich and AARP Pennsylvania President Bill Johnston-Walsh recently penned a joint op-ed to advocate for why the Commonwealth needs a Master Plan for Older Adults, and how older adults and others can get involved in creating it.
The plan will be a 10-year, state-led and stakeholder-driven strategic plan designed to help transform the infrastructure and coordination of services for older Pennsylvanians. The Master Plan will also reflect the needs and preferences of this population to live where they choose and access the supports they need to thrive and age in place.
In May, Governor Josh Shapiro signed an Executive Order directing the Department to develop the plan. Since then, the Department of Aging hosted a regional kickoff event and a regional town hall in Philadelphia to discuss the plan and gather input on the plan's development. The Department will host a second town hall this Thursday in Pittsburgh.
See what Pennsylvanians are reading about the need for Pennsylvania's Master Plan for Older Adults.
Now is the perfect time to begin laying out the Commonwealth's Master Plan. With an older adult population of 3.4 million, Pennsylvania is ranked fifth among the 50 states by size and seventh by percentage (17.8%) of the total population. The state's older adult population grew from 15.4% in 2010 to 17.8% (2.27 million persons) in 2020. Estimates suggest that 25% of the Commonwealth's residents will be over 65 by 2030.
Perhaps most importantly, the Shapiro Administration has ensured that the Master Plan will be crafted by Pennsylvanians, for Pennsylvanians. The voices of older adults must resonate in every component of this plan.
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging has been tasked with evaluating the issues facing older Pennsylvanians and conducting outreach to gather information to assist in developing the Master Plan.
Read the full op-ed here:
Pennlive: Why Pennsylvania needs a master plan written for – and by – older adults
Triblive: Pa. needs a master plan written for — and by — older adults