Governor Josh Shapiro recently signed an Executive Order laying the groundwork for creating a Pennsylvania Master Plan for Older Adults.

The master plan will serve as a roadmap to building and maintaining a commonwealth where every resident can live and thrive at any age.

AARP and the Department of Aging stood together on May 25 to support Governor Shapiro’s Executive Order, and we’re committed to working together throughout the process to ensure all older Pennsylvanians are represented in the plan.

The 50-plus demographic is a growing population in Pennsylvania and nationwide.

It’s up to us to ensure they are valued, respected, and have the opportunity to live in healthy, safe communities that meet their needs across their lifespans.

Pennsylvania needs a plan for our older population to make sure housing and healthcare are available for people of all ages, abilities, and income levels.

A master plan in Pennsylvania will identify the goals, objectives, performance measures and strategies to make sure Pennsylvanians can age in the place they call home.

The master plan will, among other things, identify state agencies that provide services to older adults and ensure they work together for a coordinated response, while also working with traditionally underserved populations to understand their specific needs and where gaps in service may exist.

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.

The initial development phase is intended to spark communication, foster collaboration, and cultivate innovation to ensure that the needs of older adults and family caregivers are met over the coming decade.

That means engaging all willing stakeholders and connecting the public, private, and independent sectors in modernizing and — where necessary — creating systems-based solutions that touch all major areas of the aging life experience (i.e., health, human services, housing, transportation, consumer affairs, employment, income security, etc.).

A blueprint will be developed that will guide how services, supports, and programs are coordinated, delivered, and financed.

AARP is proud to support the governor’s outreach process and the eventual implementation of the plan Pennsylvanians help to create.

Every voice matters, and all Pennsylvanians are invited to contribute what they think should be the plan’s priority goals and initiatives to support the highest quality of life for older adults.

To learn more, including how to provide input and the dates, times, and locations of regional town halls, visit www.aging.pa.gov/masterplan or call PDA at (717) 783-1550.

Jason Kavulich is the Secretary of Aging in Pennsylvania. Bill Johnston-Walsh is the State Director of AARP Pennsylvania.