The Critical Need for Investing in Older Adults
| In the News
Across Pennsylvania, 52 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) serve all 67 counties, providing essential services that help older adults remain safe, healthy, and independent. AAAs coordinate programs including nutrition services, in-home care, transportation, caregiver support, protective services, health and wellness programs, and senior centers that serve as vital community hubs.
Now, funding concerns have put these services at risk.
Last year, thirteen (13) senior centers in eight (8) counties were forced to close. Nearly two dozen more remain at risk of closure. Twenty (20) AAAs anticipate cutting programs like grab-and-go meals, home support, and medical supplies. Twenty-two (22) AAAs expect to add more services to their waitlists, including personal care and legal assistance. These are not budget line items. These are real Pennsylvanians losing access to the support they need to age in their homes and communities.
A Path Forward: Skill Game Regulation
We commend Governor Josh Shapiro for calling on the General Assembly to advance legislation to regulate and tax skill games in his latest budget proposal, which could unlock hundreds of millions in new revenue for the Commonwealth. This is more than a revenue opportunity—it's about protecting the State Lottery Fund, which AAAs depend on to deliver essential services.
The unregulated expansion of skill games has directly threatened the Lottery Fund, undermining the foundation that supports older adult services across Pennsylvania. Regulating these games and directing the proceeds to the Lottery Fund would help stabilize and strengthen the services that keep older adults safe and independent.
Our message to legislators is clear: a vote for regulation is a vote for older Pennsylvanians.
Investment Can't Wait
By 2030, one in three Pennsylvanians will be 60 or older. The need for services is not just growing; it is accelerating. Yet funding for AAAs has lagged severely for the past 20 years. This is not a temporary gap; it is a slow-moving crisis that has reached its breaking point.
Pennsylvania’s AAAs cannot continue to do more with less. As the budget process moves forward, we urge the General Assembly to take bold action by prioritizing aging services funding and advance skill game legislation that protects the Lottery Fund.
Help Keep Communities Connected
The Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging (P4A) appreciates the Shapiro administration’s continued support for older Pennsylvanians. Older adults represent roughly 22 percent of the Commonwealth’s population and are the fastest-growing demographic in the state.
Governor Shapiro’s proposal includes critical investments to Aging Our Way, PA, PACE/PACENET, CAPE, and calls for a long-awaited reform to the Older Adult Protective Services Act. These are meaningful steps, and we are grateful for them. However, they fall short of what is needed.
Pennsylvania's network of 52 Area Agencies on Aging across all 67 counties offers programs and connects individuals to services that promote independence, dignity, and quality of life. Visit https://p4a.org/aaas-making-a-difference/ to learn more about how you can support older adults in your community.