SHAPIRO ADMINISTRATION ’ S Priorities Take Shape in First Year
Department of Aging ’ s Master Plan for Older Adults
Gov . Shapiro ’ s executive order directed the Commonwealth ’ s Department of Aging to develop a 10-year strategic plan focused on improving the infrastructure and health service delivery system for older adults , particularly for those with disabilities .
Pennsylvania already has one of the largest older adult populations in the country , and there is a consensus that the current delivery system is insufficient to ably meet the needs of the aging population as it grows . The goals are to :
• Gather data and develop a data-driven plan that includes policies and programs that seek to improve the health , well-being , and quality of life for older adults .
• Identify services that the Commonwealth provides to older adults .
• Identify executive agencies that may have information to assist the Department of Aging in creating its Master Plan .
• Partner with disadvantaged and / or underserved communities to better understand barriers and gaps in services .
• Conduct outreach to other local , state , and federal agencies , as well as private entities , to gather additional information to help in the creation of the Master Plan .
Population Stats
PA is ranked 5 th nationwide with size of its older adult population at 3.4 million , and 7 th by percentage of the total population at 17.8 %.
PA ’ s adult population grew from 15.4 % in 2010 to 17.8 % in 2020 .
Individuals with disabilities represent 11 % of population in terms of mobility and cognitive challenges , 7 % regarding independent living , 6 % for hearing impairment , 4 % for vision impairment , and 3 % in relation to self-care .
The Department of Aging is in the process of seeking stakeholder comments and data collection . Do you have suggestions for what goals , objectives and initiatives the Department of Aging should include in its Master Plan , especially as they relate to oral health and the delivery of dental services ?
Individuals and organizations are invited to submit comments and recommendations for the Department of Aging to review by December 31 , 2023
Mail : Pennsylvania Department of Aging c / o Master Plan 555 Walnut Street , 5 th Floor Harrisburg , PA 17101 Email : AgingPlan @ pa . gov
Digital form : https :// www . aging . pa . gov / publications / MasterPlan / Pages / default . aspx
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 27