09/22/2022
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) today reminded consumers that the annual open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries will begin October 15 and end December 7. Any new coverage selected or changes to existing benefits will take effect January 1, 2023.
09/14/2022
In early 2021, Pennsylvania was at risk of having its approved caseload for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program—now more favorably coined as the Senior Food Box Program—decreased as the program was underutilized by Pennsylvania’s eligible population of older adults. More than 300,000 Pennsylvanians are eligible to receive food through the program, but as of May 2021 only 28,000 were taking advantage of the opportunity.
09/13/2022
Today, leadership from multiple state agencies joined advocates from Prevent Suicide PA to recognize September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and raise awareness around work to embed suicide prevention efforts across systems.
09/13/2022
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging today announced registration is now open for its virtual LGBTQ Aging Summit and Institute on HIV and Aging, which will take place Thursday, October 6 and Friday, October 7. All LGBTQ older adults, stakeholders, aging service providers, advocates and allies are encouraged to attend.
08/26/2022
The Department of Aging today announced the launch of a statewide media campaign to build greater awareness and utilization of the PA Link to Aging and Disability Resources, also known as the PA Link.
08/17/2022
Continuing its work to address and prevent one of the fastest growing forms of elder abuse, the Department of Aging announced the formation of a dedicated investigative unit to support Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) in probing complex financial exploitation cases and obtaining justice for older Pennsylvanians.
08/08/2022
In preparation for the expiration of the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) and the Major Disaster Declaration (MDD) by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Pennsylvania Department of Aging is recommending that the federal government advocate for certain service and funding flexibilities at the local level, such as meal service programming at senior community centers, to remain in place permanently.
07/20/2022
As the summer continues to usher in hot temperatures with high humidity, the departments of Aging and Health are urging all Pennsylvanians but especially older adults to take steps to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from potentially deadly heat-related illnesses. Seniors may be less able to respond to extreme temperatures and taking certain medication can affect how a person's body reacts to heat.
07/15/2022
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging (P4A), announced that a $230,000 grant has been awarded for the expansion of the Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity (ECHO) project across the commonwealth.
06/21/2022
At the PA Open Air Farmers Market at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg today, Wolf Administration officials reminded Pennsylvania’s low-income seniors and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program recipients to obtain and use their vouchers from the Pennsylvania Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) to purchase fresh and local fruits, vegetables, and herbs from FMNP-approved farmers at farmers markets and farm stands across the commonwealth.
06/17/2022
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) has received The Founders' Award for LGBTQ Health Equity from the Elder Initiative at William Way LGBT Community Center for its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in its outreach and service delivery to LGBTQ older adults. The organization presented the award to Secretary Robert Torres during A Cause for Applause – an annual benefit for the Elder Initiative at William Way on June 9.
06/15/2022
As part of its ongoing efforts to prevent elder abuse, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) has announced the launch of two new online resources: a new webpage focused on the growing problem of financial exploitation of older adults, and an elder abuse awareness web-based training module.
06/15/2022
Leadership from the departments of Aging, Agriculture, and Human Services today joined Feeding Pennsylvania, Hunger Free PA, Just Harvest, and other anti-hunger advocates to highlight proposed investments in the minimum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit for seniors and people with disabilities in Governor Tom Wolf’s 2022-23 proposed budget.
06/15/2022
The Department of Banking and Securities, Department of Aging, and Insurance Department issued a joint letter to leaders in the U.S. Senate and Pennsylvania senators urging passage of legislation focused on protecting senior citizens.
06/13/2022
The deadline for older and disabled Pennsylvanians to apply for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2021 has been extended from June 30 to Dec. 31, 2022, the departments of Revenue and Aging announced today.
06/03/2022
Department of Aging Secretary Robert Torres and Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Meg Snead were joined by Rep. Patty Kim and community leaders today to echo Governor Tom Wolf’s call for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to immediately use a portion of the $1.7 billion in unspent American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help older adults and individuals with disabilities through property tax and rent rebates to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
05/26/2022
Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Robert Torres today announced the release of the 2022 Benefits and Rights for Older Pennsylvanians, the commonwealth’s premier guide for information and resources serving older adults on the state and local levels.
05/20/2022
Governor Tom Wolf will honor Stephanie Cole, Special Assistant to the Secretary of Aging, with a Governor’s Award for Excellence for going above and beyond in her duties to serve older adults in the commonwealth. She created a program that brings together Pennsylvania undergraduate and graduate students and older adults who are receiving services from the Department of Aging. Cole will be among 50 employees from 12 agencies to receive the awards during a ceremony on May 20 for extraordinary accomplishments in 2021.
05/16/2022
The Pennsylvania Departments of Aging and Human Services joined the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging (P4A) on the fifth Annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day to spotlight the mental health services needs of an often overlooked, underserved population: older adults.
04/29/2022
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) was joined by students and faculty from Penn State Scranton along with older adults today to announce the expansion of the department’s Intergenerational University Connections Program.
04/29/2022
– Department of Aging Secretary Robert Torres was joined by Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski and community leaders today to echo Governor Tom Wolf’s call for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to immediately use a portion of the $1.7 billion in unspent American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help older adults and individuals with disabilities through property tax and rent rebates to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
04/21/2022
Department of Aging Secretary Robert Torres was joined by Sen. Maria Collett, AARP Pennsylvania and community leaders today to echo Governor Tom Wolf’s call for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to immediately use a portion of the $1.7 billion in unspent American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help older adults and individuals with disabilities through property tax and rent rebates to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
04/20/2022
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) today hosted the virtual 2022 Volunteer Symposium, which engaged current and potential volunteers and volunteer coordinators in the aging network. The symposium recognized those individuals who give their time and talent by volunteering to provide services offered by the department through 52 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). It also presented professional development for volunteer coordinators to support their efforts in volunteer recruitment, retention, and recognition.
04/14/2022
“The Department of Aging is pleased to have collaborated with the Department of Health to develop this comprehensive online resource that includes educational resources to help primary care providers support their patients who are living with Alzheimer’s Disease or a related disorder,” said Secretary of Aging Robert Torres. “This one-stop reference tool gives providers access to resources on detection, diagnosis, treatment and care planning, including methods to detect cognitive decline as part of annual wellness visits, information to build awareness of racial and ethnic disparities in detection and diagnosis, and other subject areas that are key to ensuring broader, more equitable access to services and treatment for all.”
04/08/2022
Department of Aging Secretary Robert Torres, joined by Rep. Carol Hill-Evans and community leaders, today echoed Gov. Tom Wolf’s call for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to immediately use a portion of the $1.7 billion in unspent American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help older adults and individuals with disabilities through property tax and rent rebates to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
04/06/2022
Department of Aging Secretary Robert Torres, joined by Rep. Sara Innamorato, the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging and other community leaders, today echoed Gov. Tom Wolf’s call for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to immediately use a portion of the $1.7 billion in unspent American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help older adults and individuals with disabilities through property tax and rent rebates to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
03/10/2022
Officials from the Pennsylvania Lottery and the Department of Aging today visited Mechanicsburg Place Senior Center in Cumberland County to highlight the significant impact the Lottery has on older Pennsylvanians throughout the commonwealth. Specifically, Mechanicsburg Place Senior Center received a $54,861 grant from the Department of Aging that was funded by Lottery proceeds.
03/09/2022
With private insurers increasingly promoting their Medicare coverage plans through marketing campaigns that feature celebrities or offer gifts, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging has sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), supporting CMS’ efforts to address the issue of marketing misrepresentation, and offering suggestions to protect consumers from advertising messages that may be confusing or misleading.
02/23/2022
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging announced a new law that expands income eligibility limits for the Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly Needs Enhancement Tier (PACENET) program is now in effect. Governor Tom Wolf signed legislation into law in December 2021 that allows an additional 100,000 older adults to now become eligible to sign up for the program with enrollment beginning this month.
02/10/2022
The Department of Aging convened a gathering of Alzheimer’s Disease researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh in a daylong forum to share and discuss their latest work in the areas of prevention, treatment and caregiving.