Master Plan: 5 Bold Goals

Goal three for 2030
Goal three: Inclusion & Equity, Not Isolation

"We will have lifelong opportunities for work, volunteering, engagement, and leadership and will be protected from isolation, discrimination, abuse, neglect, and exploitation."

Target: Keep Increasing Life Satisfaction as We Age

View Goal Three’s data indicators and track our progress at the Data Dashboard for Aging.

Older adults have many essential roles in California’s communities: workers, business owners, volunteers, community leaders, mentors, lifelong learners, neighbors, friends, family members, and more. Each of these roles can provide a vital sense of purpose at any age. A cornerstone of building a California for all ages is continuing, evolving, and creating new opportunities for meaningful engagement at 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100-plus years old.

Digital technologies are fostering new opportunities for connection and inclusion for work, play, community, culture, and commerce. However, over two million Californians do not have access to high-speed internet and approximately 34 percent of adults over 60 do not use the Internal at all. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought these issues into greater focus and heightened the need for improved access to broadband, digital devices, and technology support for older adults.

Employment and volunteer opportunities, particularly those offering intergenerational engagement, can provide a powerful sense of purpose and connection. Over the past five years, Californians over the age of 55 accounted for 29 percent of all new employment. Many older adults need or want to keep working – at least part time. However, two thirds of older adults seeking employment cite age discrimination as a challenge to finding work.

Older adults can also be a major source of volunteers. Many older adults, especially if paid work and caregiving responsibilities become lighter, choose to devote time and energy to their communities – for example serving at food banks, as tutors to young children, and as poll workers.

One of the greatest threats to full inclusion and equity for all ages is elder abuse, which is estimated to impact 10 percent of older adults living at home and to result in losses totaling in the billions of dollars annually. Elder abuse can take many forms, including physical, sexual, abandonment, isolation, financial, neglect, self-neglect, and mental suffering. Women are as much as 35 percent more likely than men to suffer from some form of it. Our growing aging population requires increased planning and coordination to prevent growing abuse.

To build a California for all ages, all stakeholders and partners agree: leadership is key. California has a long tradition of extraordinary aging leadership, stretching back decades. (see Listening to our Elders). The State now has a growing and diversifying community of leaders at all levels poised to build on this foundation for the future, bringing forward the best of proven practices and new innovations to meet the needs of people we serve. Throughout this network, older adults and people with disabilities are the true leaders and essential participants in all planning, policy, programs, and advocacy.

California will pursue inclusion and equity, and prevent isolation, through the below strategies and initiatives:

Strategy A: Inclusion and Equity in Aging

As the most racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse state in the nation, California can lead in combatting ageism, ableism, racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, and all prejudices and in expanding opportunities for all older adults and people with disabilities to be economically, civically, and socially engaged, without experiencing discrimination or bias. California’s aging and disability leaders, providers, and partners are committed to becoming increasingly culturally responsive through strategies including trainings, data collection, public campaigns (including with partners in California’s entertainment industry), and targeted equity and inclusion goals in workforce, service planning, and service delivery.

  • Initiative 52

    - Elevate the Governor’s Executive Order on Equity to expand MPA equity-based data with specified metrics focusing on intersectional data across age, disability, race, sexual orientation/gender identification, Veteran status, and ethnicity. Ensure that aging and disability is part of all equity initiatives, and that equity metrics are clearly communicated to the appropriate audiences, including through the Data Dashboard for Aging, the CalHHS Equity Dashboard, and the Strategic Growth Council’s Racial Equity Resource Hub. (Lead Agency: CalHHS, GO)green dot image
  • Initiative 53

    - Partner with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), health plans, and providers as well as local public health, behavioral health, and regional centers, to reduce health disparities for COVID-19 vaccination rates and use of therapeutics among older adults. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 54

    - Promote language access efforts by: a) Implementing the Language Access Pilot and providing recommendations to expand the pilot statewide; and b) Assessing CalHHS Agency’s Language Access Initiative for availability of culturally and linguistically competent communications to older adults, people with disabilities, their families, and supporters. (CalHHS, GovOps)green dot image
  • Initiative 55

    - Increase awareness and enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and anti-hate initiatives for all Californians, including older adults and people with disabilities, through the launch of the CA vs. Hate Network to create broad awareness of the network including connection to resources and improved data collection of hate incidents and violence; launch the Commission on the State of Hate. (Lead Agency: BCSH)green dot imagegreen dot image
  • Initiative 56

    - Explore common quality and equity metrics impacting older adults and people with disabilities across Medicare, Medi-Cal, CalPERS, Covered California, and the Data Dashboard for Aging. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 57

    - Assess community living and LTSS needs of LGBTQ+ older adults specific to race, ethnicity, disability, and geographic location. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image

Strategy B: Bridging the Digital Divide

In August 2020, Governor Gavin Newson signed Executive Order N-73-20 to deploy affordable and reliable broadband throughout the state. Closing the digital divide by increasing access to the internet and digital devices will improve the ability of older adults and people with disabilities to connect to family and friends, health care providers, and to access additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

  • Initiative 58

    - Expand broadband infrastructure, including both middle and last mile, and leverage new federal funds to facilitate digital literacy training for underserved communities, including older adults, people with disabilities, and tribal communities, as part of the state’s Broadband for All strategic plan. (Lead Agency: CPUC, GovOps)green dot image
  • Initiative 59

    - Evaluate the impact of the $50 million Access to Technology initiative to measure the extent to which older adults and people with disabilities gain meaningful access to digital devices, service plans, and digital literacy/technology training. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image

Strategy C: Opportunities to Work

Scaling flexible work and education models, including virtual options, and preventing age discrimination in the workplace, can increase the inclusion of older adults and people with disabilities and harness all of California’s talent, professionalism, knowledge, and expertise

  • Initiative 60

    - Provide tools, training, and technical assistance to state employers to actively promote recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training older adults and people with disabilities who want to remain in or enter the workforce. Build off innovative models such as the CalHHS Hiring Playbook, Including People with Disabilities Drives Innovation, and the State of California’s Limited Examination and Appointment Program (LEAP). (Lead Agencies: CalHR, CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 61

    - Explore strategies to recruit retired or close-to-retirement health care professionals to work as faculty in clinical training programs. (Lead Agencies: LWDA, BCSH, CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 62

    - Focus on job opportunities for older adults and people with disabilities and identify opportunities to leverage the federally-funded Senior Community Service Employment Program and other models, in collaboration with the Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). (Lead Agencies: CalHHS, LWDA)green dot image
  • Initiative 63

    - Explore opportunities to support California’s aging farmworker population by funding Farmworker Resource Centers that support access to social services and housing, with services available in multiple languages. green dot image

Strategy D: Opportunities to Volunteer and Engage Across Generations

Volunteer programs for community priorities can intentionally and effectively recruit, support, and connect adults of all ages through volunteer centers, schools, community sites, libraries, and more. Older Californians have much to contribute to our society and to younger generations of Californians, therefore, developing opportunities for multi-generational exchanges is critical.

  • Initiative 64

    - Promote opportunities for volunteerism and engagement by creating the California Experience Corps. (Lead Agency: CalVols)green dot image
  • Initiative 65

    - Align the statewide efforts of California Volunteers with established volunteer opportunities and cross-promote to older adults and people with disabilities in partnership with the California Guard, California State Parks, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, and the state’s network of 33 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). (Lead Agency: CalVols)green dot image

Strategy E: Protection from Abuse, Neglect & Exploitation

Through new statewide coordinated efforts focused on prevention and equity, California can strengthen prevention and responses to elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, and fraud with person-centered, data-driven, and culturally competent approaches.

  • Initiative 66

    - Develop resources, in partnership with the California Elder & Disability Justice Coordinating Council, to build capacity among California’s legal services providers that serve older adults and people with disabilities to prioritize equity and the rights of older adults and people with disabilities. (Lead Agency: CalHHS, OAG)green dot image
  • Initiative 67

    - Provide resources to all 58 county Adult Protective Services (APS) programs to facilitate financial institutions reporting potential financial abuse to county APS offices across the state. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 68

    - Train APS social workers on how to assess an individual’s decision-making abilities. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 69

    - Explore dedicated funding opportunities for probate guardianship with caseload standards based on acuity levels. This effort may align with AB 1663 (Chapter 894, Statutes of 2022) (Maienschein), which reforms California’s probate conservatorship system to enable people with disabilities and older adults to pursue supported decision-making as a less restrictive alternative to conservatorship. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image

Strategy F: California Leadership in Aging

Strategies to advance California’s leadership include establishing public information, assistance, and resource connection portals and telephone networks that serve the entire state; facilitating a nation-leading aging research collaboration with California’s leading universities; participating in AARP’s Age-Friendly initiative; forging international agreements; and reviewing and strengthening state and local government leadership and partnership structures, including those related to the California Department of Aging and local Areas Agencies on Aging.

  • Initiative 70

    - Pilot and plan for statewide adoption and activation of California’s first aging, disability, and caregiving contact center and consumer-facing web portal to provide streamlined access to local, regional, and statewide information across the network that connects individuals with local programs and services with 24/7 access to live help and language assistance. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 71

    - Promote sustainability of the local network of Aging and Disability Resource Connections (ADRCs) and recommend revisions to the model that support geographic expansion, local capacity building, training and technical assistance and enhanced focus on language access and cultural competence. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot imagegreen dot imagegreen dot image
  • Initiative 72

    - Establish a California No Wrong Door (NWD) State Leadership Council (SLC) that has the structure and delegated authority to guide the development of the State’s NWD system. The NWD SLC will ensure California’s aging and disability network effectively connects individuals to health care and social supports in their local communities. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 73

    - Conduct California’s first-ever statewide baseline consumer satisfaction survey to amplify the older adult voice and ensure equity and inclusion of all perspectives, including geography, race, ethnicity, income, sexual orientation, gender identification, age, and ability. (Lead Agency: CalHSS)green dot imagegreen dot image
  • Initiative 74

    - Ease consumer navigation and streamline state and local structures for service delivery by thoughtfully examining the statewide Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) network and making recommendations on AAA governance, geographic boundaries, funding opportunities, core services, performance measures, and shared marketing/branding. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 75

    - Convene subject matter experts to create a Disability and Aging Community of Practice to address the needs of and enhance the client/consumer experience for older adults and people with disabilities and their families across the lifespan. The Community of Practice will foster cross-sector innovation and leadership and collaborate to improve system navigation across aging and disability networks, including developmental disabilities. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 76

    - Develop research and data functions for the Data Dashboard for Aging and identify population-level outcome measures to monitor the longitudinal success of the MPA’s goals. Continue to improve upon and expand the Data Dashboard for Aging by identifying data gaps, adding additional equity metrics, and conducting user-testing with local and state program and policy planners in strategic partnership with academic and philanthropic partners. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 77

    - Identify funding opportunities to launch a public-private Aging and Disability Research Consortium with up to three collaborative research projects in partnership with the Aging & Disability Research Partnership, co-chaired by the Center for Data Insights and Innovations and the California Department of Aging. (Lead Agency: CalHHS)green dot image
  • Initiative 78

    - Convene information sharing sessions on economic innovation with Japan, Singapore, and other nations with “super-aged” societies. (Lead Agency: GO-Biz)green dot image

Equity should be at the center of the Master Plan for Aging’s implementation. Systemic racism, ageism, able-ism, and sexism can only by eliminated through intentional systemic solutions. It’s time to transform our systems so that they may positively impact the lives of those most affected by historical and institutionalized discrimination and who, therefore, have disproportionately suffered during COVID-19.

Kiran Savage-Sangwan, California Pan Ethnic Health Network

In 2023-2024, California will advance ninety-five new Master Plan for Aging initiatives, building upon the work of the plan’s first two years. Each initiative features a designated area of focus:
blue dot image Deliver
orange dot imageAnalyze
green dot imageCommunicate

For a list of the 2021-2022 Initiatives, please view the original Master Plan for Aging report or the 2021 MPA Initiatives Progress Report.

Local Models: Los Angeles' Purposeful Aging LA (PALA)
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PALA is a groundbreaking initiative and partnership, between the County and the City of Los Angeles, other cities, AARP, the private sector, and universities. The partnership was formed to help the Los Angeles region prepare for the growing older adult population. PALA’s ultimate goal is to make the Los Angeles region the most age-friendly in the world.