It's rare when we're able to report news via the ASA Membership Portal, but today we're letting any ASA members who live in Pennsylvania, specifically in Allegheny County, know that next week the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, Allegheny County's Area Agency on Aging, and the state are partnering to garner feedback from locals on their new Master Plan for Aging.
This is your chance to help the state "chart the vision and emphasis for government agencies, which will translate into policy and investment at the institutional and county-agency levels," said Shannah Tharp Gilliam, who oversees Allegheny County's aging services.
Pennsylvania has the country's fifth largest aging population, in 2020 comprising 17.8% of the state's total. Mental health services, direct-home care and housing are major parts of this impending plan.
The county and state are especially encouraging caregivers, grandparents raising grandkids, healthcare workers and social services agencies to weigh in.
Here are the pertinent locations (in Pittsburgh and its environs) and dates:
- Human Services Building at 10 a.m. on Sept. 12 and 10 a.m. on Sept. 13
- AgeWell at the Jewish Community Center at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 13
- LifeSpan McKeesport at 10 a.m. on Sept. 15
Additional virtual listening sessions will be held for residents statewide.
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Alison Biggar
Senior Editor
American Society on Aging
San Francisco CA
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