California’s Master Plan for Aging (MPA), a 10-year blueprint to prepare the state for the coming demographic changes and continue California’s national leadership in aging, disability, and equity, recently released its Annual Report. The Annual Report reviews investments and progress made in 2022 toward the 132 initiatives that were the focus of the first two years of MPA implementation, and outlines the 95 new initiatives that will drive activities for the next two years. California also launched the MPA Initiatives Tracker, an interactive website that provides on-demand public access to initiative progress updates.
“Over the past two years, there have been historic investments, collaborative public-private partnerships, and ongoing efforts from a variety of stakeholders to make the Master Plan for Aging come to life, while doing the hard work that’s required to achieve California’s five bold goals by 2030,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health & Human Services Agency Secretary. “I’m impressed by the progress made last year and by the strength of commitment shown by stakeholders, philanthropy partners, the Legislature, and the entire administration. This truly is a whole-of-society movement. I’m confident we’re on the path to creating a better future for Californians of all ages and all abilities.”
The MPA was launched by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021 to address an upcoming demographic shift: by 2030, one in four Californians will be aged 60 or older. The MPA outlines five bold goals to build a California for all ages and abilities by 2030: Housing for All Ages & Stages; Health Reimagined; Equity & Inclusion, Not Isolation; Caregiving That Works; and Affording Aging. The first two years of MPA activities focused on 132 initiatives that included preventing homelessness for older adults and veterans, expanding health care affordability and access, protecting older adults and people with disabilities from abuse and neglect, supporting family caregivers, reducing food insecurity, and more.
Progress was made on all 132 initiatives that were part of the first two years of MPA implementation. The Legislature invested billions of dollars to advance the MPA’s five bold goals. Over the next two years, the California Department of Aging will award $4.5 million in grants to up to 36 local communities across the state to help launch their own aging- and disability-friendly action plans.
The 95 priority initiatives for 2023-24 build upon the work of the MPA’s first two years. Each initiative will have one or more areas of focus — Deliver, Analyze, Communicate — that add another level of accountability beyond the Annual Report, Initiative Tracker, and other reporting.
“The Master Plan for Aging is guiding actions that are making a difference in the lives of Californians today, not planning for action that starts in 10 years,” said California Department of Aging Director Susan DeMarois. “The Master Plan is delivering greater access to health care, more options for housing and home and community-based care, expanded access to technology to reduce isolation, and more support for caregivers, a critical but often unseen workforce. Our priority initiatives for the next two years will help California make additional progress toward the Master Plan for Aging’s goals and reinforce California’s commitment to equity for all.”
Access the complete Master Plan for Aging Annual Report and 2023-24 Initiatives at https://mpa.aging.ca.gov/UpdatesAndProgressReports/. The MPA Implementation Tracker is at https://www.mpaprogress.org/.
