Massachusetts Joins the Age-Friendly Network

In January 2018, Governor Charlie Baker announced that the Commonwealth would join the network, building on the Governor’s Council to Address Aging in Massachusetts.

Continuing its collaborative history with the Massachusetts Department of Elder Affairs, the Tufts Health Plan Foundation is a major partner in the initiative. As part of its work, collectively known as the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative, the state committed to developing local best practices for community engagement and expanding its “Community Compact” initiative to include cities and towns that implement at least one age- or dementia-friendly best practice at the local level.

"Many of our older adults have the time, energy and talent available to start a second or third career, volunteer in their community, become a mentor or pursue an unfulfilled passion," Baker wrote in a letter to AARP. "By enrolling in the network of age-friendly states, Massachusetts embraces the opportunity to promote and celebrate aging."