California’s Master Plan for Aging
On the Road to Successful Aging
It’s been three years since Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order calling for the development and implementation of California’s first Master Plan for Aging, a bold investment in the Golden State’s future and the lives of seniors and their families.
It took about one year to build, but its impact will last a lifetime. The Master Plan for Aging, released on January 6, 2021, outlines five bold goals and 23 strategies to build a California for All Ages by 2030. This year alone, government agencies and collaborators from the private sector have committed to implementing 123 initiatives that span healthcare, housing, transportation, equity, caregiving and economic security. West Health has been a part of the planning and implementation from the beginning. And we will continue to work on this extraordinary public-private partnership until successful aging is a reality for all Californians and the state’s Master Plan becomes a model for the nation.
Senior-focused, Data-driven
The West Health Institute partnered with the California Department of Aging and the California Department of Health to develop the publicly accessible Data Dashboard for Aging, which continually tracks progress toward the Master Plan’s goals over the next decade.
Without data, there is no full understanding or accountability for what’s working and what’s not. The Data Dashboard for Aging provides real-time insights into the success or failure of the Master Plan for Aging initiatives and potential resource gaps. Dashboard users can view a wide range of data on demographics and issues seniors face as they navigate aging in California, including unintentional falls, income security, poverty, internet access, and many more.
Every State Needs a Master Plan
California is one of only five states with a Master Plan for Aging, but that will soon change. West Health is collaborating with The SCAN Foundation and the May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust to help 10 more states develop or advance a cross-sector plans through the Master Plan for Aging Learning Collaborative, led by The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS). The Master Plan for Aging movement has begun!
Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vermont are all working on their own Master Plans for Aging.
Healthcare is Fundamental
Improving and lowering the cost of healthcare and expanding access to geriatric care is one of five bold goals for the Master Plan for Aging and West Health. Currently, more than 5.1 million seniors live in California, a number expected to grow to 8.6 million by 2030, the same year 1 in every 5 Americans will be 65 or older, a first in U.S. history.
Seniors and their families are already struggling with a fragmented healthcare system not scaled or structured to meet their needs, wants or expectations. We’re working with Master Plan for Aging and other stakeholders to expand senior-specific models of care (e.g., geriatric emergency departments, senior oral health clinics, home-based primary care, telehealth and Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)); form collaborations including Home-based Acute Care Learning and Action Network, Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative; and develop training and implementation resources such as playbooks, toolkits, guides, webinars to address these issues here and across the nation.
5 Bold Goals for an Age-Friendly California
OUR FOCUS
Goal 1
Housing for All Ages and Stages
Create millions of new housing options for communities that are age-, disability-, and dementia-friendly and climate- and disaster-ready.
OUR FOCUS
Goal 2
Health Reimagined
Ensure that all Californians have access to both health care and services that optimize quality of life, with a focus on closing equity gaps and increasing life expectancy.
OUR FOCUS
Goal 3
Inclusion and Equity, Not Isolation
Increase life satisfaction by providing opportunities for work, volunteering, engagement, and leadership that are free from isolation, discrimination, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
OUR FOCUS
Goal 4
Caregiving that Works
Create one million new caregiving jobs to better assist support older Californians and their families throughout the aging process. throughout our lives.
OUR FOCUS
Goal 5
Affording Aging
Close the equity gaps in aging and increase economic security for older adults.
Data Dashboard for Aging
Promoting Transparency and Accountability
West Health was instrumental in aiding the State of California in the development of a sophisticated Data Dashboard for Aging that identifies current gaps in senior supports, parses data by location and demographic indicators, and will track and measure progress of the Master Plan over time.
Explore the data visualization
The Playbook
Resource for
Local Planning
The Master Plan for Aging Playbook is designed to assist state and local government, communities, and private and philanthropic organizations in building environments that promote an age-friendly and disability-friendly California. The Playbook provides seven “plays” for action with relevant resources and models for planning and implementation.
Learn More About the Local Playbook
With support from West Health and The SCAN Foundation, Grantmakers in Aging (GIA) launched a new “Funders Community, Master Plans for Aging,” a shared space where grantmakers can build on age-friendly community investments and discuss strategies and solutions related to Master Plans. The goal is to improve the aging experience through innovation, collaboration, and shared accountability.
Master Plan for Aging News
Together we can provide a bright future for our seniors in California
More than 5.1 million seniors live in California, a number expected to grow to 8.6 million by 2030.
2020
5.1M
Seniors living in California
2030
8.3M
Fastest growing population group
In less than two decades, older adults are projected to outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history. By 2035, people age 65 and over are expected to number 77 million, while children under age 18 will number 76.5 million.
Starting in 2030, when all boomers will be older than 65, older adults will make up 21 percent of the population, up from 15 percent today.
Seniors face significant challenges in accessing high-quality and affordable healthcare, dental care, supportive services, housing and transportation. A rising and diverse population will put even more strain on the state’s fragile system of care, which is largely fragmented, poorly coordinated and not designed or sufficiently resourced to meet the specific needs of older adults.
"California’s Master Plan for Aging can be a shining example of how senior-specific healthcare combined with smart policy can improve lives of older adults and support families and communities."
Shelley Lyford
President and CEO, Gary and Mary West Foundation
Member of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Californians are encouraged to share their own vision and insights. Recommendations and comments can be submitted either online through EngageCA.org or through public forums and events.
Upcoming Events
Join the California Master Plan for Aging partners to elevate Aging, Disability, and Equity in statewide cross-sector planning to achieve the Governor’s vision of a California for ALL. This full day of activities will include conversations with national and state leaders in aging and disability, presentations by stakeholder committees, as well as interactive discussions.
West Health does not accept unsolicited business plans or proposals.
