08/12/2021
To help protect vulnerable residents, Department of Health Executive Deputy Secretary Keara Klinepeter today set the expectation for all of Pennsylvania's skilled nursing facilities (SNF), also referred to as nursing homes, to have at least 80 percent of staff vaccinated for COVID-19 by Oct. 1, 2021. Currently in Pennsylvania, 12.5 percent of facilities have staff vaccinated at or above 80 percent, which is not enough from a public health perspective to prevent future outbreaks of the virus.<br><br>"Nursing home residents have been disproportionately impacted by this virus," said Margaret Barajas, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. "The commonwealth's leadership in prioritizing their safety through this focused effort to get more staff vaccinated is a critical next step to protecting our most vulnerable residents from a potentially deadly infectious disease. We have an ethical imperative to do this. They're counting on us."
08/10/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) has launched its first-ever marketing campaign to promote its Shared Housing and Resource Exchange Program, also known as SHARE. <br><br>SHARE is an affordable housing choice that brings together home hosts who have extra room in their home with home seekers who are looking for housing, in exchange for rent, help around the house, or a combination of both. Now in its fourth year, SHARE is currently available in Pike, Wayne, Monroe, Venango, Crawford, Adams, Union, and Snyder counties, with planning underway for expansion into additional counties.<br>
07/21/2021
Wolf Administration officials today shared proposed nursing home regulations focused on increasing the quality of care received by residents by increasing the minimum direct care hours by 1.4 more hours each day. The current skilled nursing facility regulations have not been updated since 1999.
07/07/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) announced that as of July 1, the PA State Health Insurance Assistance Program, formerly known as APPRISE, has now been renamed Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight, or PA MEDI. Pennsylvania's Medicare beneficiaries will receive the same services under the same program, just under a new name.
06/30/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging (P4A), announced that a $500,000 grant has been awarded to expand the Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity (ECHO) across the commonwealth.
06/23/2021
First Lady Frances Wolf, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Aging Secretary Robert Torres joined a group of older Pennsylvanians at Crispus Attucks Active Living Center in York to hear their first-hand experiences with Pennsylvania's food assistance programs – they shared what they enjoy, what could be improved, their ideal program offerings, and barriers to knowledge of or access to programs.
06/18/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) announced a bill sponsored by Rep. Karen Boback and signed into law by Governor Wolf that will expand eligibility and allow flexibility in the administration of Pennsylvania's Caregiver Support Program (CSP). The program provides support to caregivers – including caregivers of older adults, grandparents raising grandchildren, and older caregivers of adults living with a disability – with the purpose of alleviating stress and promoting well-being to help sustain a healthy ongoing caregiving relationship.
06/15/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA), joined by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office and other members of a public-private task force, held a media briefing to provide an overview of its work and announce a series of recommendations, focused on multi-disciplinary approaches, to help prevent financial exploitation of older adults and to effectively respond to incidents of financial exploitation.
06/09/2021
The Pennsylvania Departments of Aging and Health today encouraged all Pennsylvanians to educate themselves on the importance of brain health, and to learn about Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.
06/08/2021
At the Open-Air Farmers Market at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg today, Wolf Administration officials reminded Pennsylvania's low-income seniors and WIC recipients to obtain and use their vouchers from the Pennsylvania Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) to purchase fresh, local fruits, vegetables, and herbs from FMNP-approved farmers at farmers markets and farm stands across the commonwealth.
06/02/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging today encouraged Medicare beneficiaries to make the most of their preventive benefits that could help them save money and live healthier lives through preventive care. The department recently launched a five-week media campaign to promote awareness of these benefits.
05/27/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging today announced it has received a three-year $270,295 grant from the Administration of Community Living to expand its Healthy IDEAS (Identify Depression and Empowering Activities for Seniors) Program within Pennsylvania's Area Agencies on Aging to better identify and address depression symptoms among older adults. <br><br>Pennsylvania is the first state to independently train and administer the Healthy IDEAS program, an evidence-based depression self-management program that brings together the aging network and the mental/behavioral health community to achieve significant benefits for older adults and their families who may be dealing with depression.<br>
05/25/2021
The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs recently partnered with the Department of Aging on successful webinars geared toward educating veteran advocates on how to identify and properly report abuse, neglect or exploitation of older veterans.
05/24/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging's Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman today announced the dates and topics for the upcoming Virtual Family Council (VFC) meetings in June.
05/20/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging today announced that older adults who will soon be turning 65 and are not yet enrolled in Medicare can attend a free virtual event to learn about their healthcare coverage options when enrolling for Medicare.
05/19/2021
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Aging Secretary Robert Torres today joined seniors at Kings Terrace to announce steps to increase access to Pennsylvania's Senior Food Boxes, a supplemental food program available free to lower income seniors. Giving the program a new name and removing proof of income requirements are among the barriers to participation the state is removing, with the goal of encouraging seniors to take advantage of the program.
05/17/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Commission for Women, joined the Alzheimer's Association Delaware Valley and Greater Pennsylvania Chapters for a virtual event focused on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and their impact on women.
05/03/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging today announced that its PACE prescription assistance program, working together with Walmart, has helped more than 25,000 older Pennsylvanians get a vaccination appointment.
04/29/2021
With the pandemic creating unprecedented challenges over the past year, Governor Tom Wolf is honoring state employees who went above and beyond this year with Governor's Awards for Excellence. Margaret Barajas, the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, is being recognized for going above and beyond in her duties to protect and advocate for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is among 51 employees from 10 agencies who will receive awards during a virtual ceremony on May 5 for extraordinary accomplishments in 2020.
04/29/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging's Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman today announced the dates and topics for the upcoming Virtual Family Council (VFC) meetings in May.
04/26/2021
As Pennsylvania continues its accelerated COVID-19 vaccination plan, Pennsylvanians who are not able to leave their homes must be reached, and various state agencies and community groups are helping.<br><br>"The Department of Aging and the Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) are committed to helping all segments of Pennsylvania's older adult population obtain a COVID-19 vaccine, including those older adults for whom leaving their home to get a vaccine is either impossible or highly impractical," said Aging Secretary Robert Torres. "Addressing the needs of these seniors is an issue that requires us to mobilize and collaborate to fit the needs and resources of each community. AAAs have been doing a great job collaborating with community partners to help older adults obtain their vaccine appointments."
04/20/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging today announced that in compliance with federal requirements, it will be updating its formula for how Pennsylvania distributes federal funds authorized by the Older Americans Act, among the 52 Area Agencies on Aging that serve the commonwealth.
04/15/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging today continued to encourage older adults seeking a COVID-19 vaccine appointment to contact their local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for any assistance they may need in scheduling an appointment. The AAAs have been working with vaccine providers to arrange appointments for older adults eligible in Phase 1A of the commonwealth's vaccine plan after the Department of Health (DOH) issued an amended order in March.
04/01/2021
An amended Department of Health order indicating that certain vaccine providers must work with local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) to schedule vaccination appointments for older adults eligible in Phase 1A of the state's vaccination plan is reaping measurable results, as reported to the Department of Aging.<br><br>On a media briefing call today, the department was joined by several AAAs who described progress made on their vaccination waiting lists, as well as continuing partnership efforts to help every older adult in their local service area who wants a vaccine to get one. <br>
03/31/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging's Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman today announced the dates and topics for the upcoming Virtual Family Council (VFC) meetings in April.
03/26/2021
Continuing its work on the growing issue of social isolation among older adults, the Pennsylvania Council on Aging (PCoA) hosted a Social Isolation Symposium to present information and resources virtually to individuals who work with older adults, including caregivers, health care staff, stakeholders and the public. Titled "Directions for Connections," this first-of-its-kind event in Pennsylvania featured nationally known speakers focusing on the impact of social isolation, and how to get older adults engaged to ensure their continued health and wellbeing.
03/25/2021
York, PA - The Wolf Administration today discussed an amended order signed by Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam, indicating that certain vaccine providers must work with local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and Medical Assistance Managed Care Organizations (MA MCOs) to schedule vaccination appointments for adults eligible in Phase 1A of the state’s vaccination plan.
03/06/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging's Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman today announced the dates and topics for the upcoming Virtual Family Council (VFC) meetings in March. Led by ombudsmen and family members, the biweekly meetings bring families and advocates together for sharing, support and learning.
02/10/2021
With the ongoing rise of financial exploitation and other forms of elder abuse, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) is urging the General Assembly to prioritize and enact critical updates to the Older Adults Protective Services Act (OAPSA) in its new 2021-22 Legislative Session.
02/02/2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging's Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman today announced the dates and topics for the upcoming Virtual Family Council (VFC) meetings in February.