America needs a plan to help its older citizens—and soon

By Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO

Most Americans understand the importance of planning to secure their economic futures and advance directives to prepare for their health care as they age. But for too long, there has been no federal action plan to protect our nation’s growing older population.

By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 or older. Yet many government policies and programs have not addressed the unique needs of the aging population.

AARP has a plan to help change that.

The good news is that a growing number of states are developing and adopting comprehensive plans to support their aging population. AARP has been deeply involved in supporting those efforts. About half the states have implemented, developed or initiated multiyear strategies, commonly known as multisector plans for aging (MPAs). Although state MPAs vary in scope—and in their goals and target populations—they all encourage collaboration among governments, private entities and people.

Yet there is no comparable national plan. The federal government has recently taken steps toward developing such a strategy. The Older Americans Act reauthorization of 2020 set up an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Healthy Aging and Age-Friendly Communities (ICC). The committee issued a Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging in May.

Among other things, the report focused on age-friendly communities, housing, increased access to long-term support and better health care services, especially for people with low incomes. To get input from older Americans, the ICC holds listening sessions across the country. AARP helps organize these discussions, which kicked off in Washington, D.C., in May.

AARP wants to play a more critical role in this process. We recently released our own vision for a national plan on aging—part of our Aging Well in America Initiative.

AARP’s report emphasizes four goals that can help guide efforts to establish a national plan, along with the policies for implementing those goals.

• Promote healthy living and access to affordable, high-quality health care.
• Support family caregivers and affordable, high-quality longterm care with dignity, independence and security.
• Provide ample opportunities to achieve financial security.
• Create age-friendly, livable communities that enable people to age in place.

AARP will continue to work with states and expand our own initiatives that have helped make our communities more livable for older residents and have fostered better aging policies at the local and state level. We’re committed to the development of a national plan on aging that will enable all people to maintain good health, build financial resilience and remain in their homes and communities as they age.

With the population aging at a rate never seen in history, it’s time for policymakers, government officials and organizations involved in aging to seize the opportunity to address the needs of older Americans now and into the future.