Bucks County Plan on Aging – 2008-2012
Overview
Like most counties in America, Bucks County, a suburban county that is part of the greater Philadelphia region in Pennsylvania, is expecting the 65+ age population to effectively double by 2030. The Area Agency on Aging (AAA), in compliance with the Older Americans Act, has prepared this four-year plan to set forth key objectives, strategies, and tactics to support older adults in the county. Compared to other such plans from counties across the U.S., this plan offers more specifics in terms of strategies and tactics.
Key Points
The plan is built to support older adults in Bucks County, and reflects their interest levels in current programs and services based on findings from various research studies and reports. Like most counties, Bucks has learned that older adults want to grow older “in place” and have easy and safe access to places in their communities. The plan itself is designed to provide information and resources to help older adults live healthy and productive lives, in a setting of their choice, free from abuse and neglect.
The plan focuses on specific steps needed in Bucks County, including:
- Maintaining and expanding the existing means of conveying information to the residents of the County.
- The demand for home and community based services will continue to grow. Advocacy for increased funding to meet current and projected needs will need to continue. The AAA will also need to become a catalyst for new partnerships to provide care.
- Continued engagement of municipalities to ensure their community is a place to age well.
- Attention will need to be spent not only on caring for those in need but enhancing the health and wellness of residents as they age.
How to Use
For community planners and local governments in counties of a size or situation similar to Bucks, this plan offers a strong example of how to put forth specifics. From a style standard, it is not flashy but basic. Substance-wise, however, it is superior. Give it a read.
View full report: Bucks County Plan on Aging – 2008-12 (PDF – 958 KB)
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