In January 2021, the State of California released its Master Plan for Aging (MPA). The MPA is a response to a significant demographic shift across the state. In 2030, California will be home to 10.8 million people aged 60 and over — twice as many as in 2010. One out of every four Californians will be an older adult.
This same shift is taking place in Sacramento County. In 2030, Sacramento County will have 40,000 more older adults than it does now. By 2060, it will have 300,000 more. To prepare, the Adult and Aging Commission recommended that Sacramento County join the AARP Age-Friendly Network of States and Communities. Sacramento County joined the network in February 2021.
Members of the Age-Friendly Network must first conduct a community assessment. Once the assessment is complete, an action plan is developed based on the assessment results. Lastly, member communities work towards the goals of the action plan, continuously sharing successes and learning from challenges.
In Sacramento County, the assessment consisted of a survey and twenty-six listening sessions. The survey served as a learning opportunity that informed how we gathered data through the listening sessions. The listening sessions helped identify community strengths and the crucial needs and concerns of residents. They became the basis for this Local Aging and Disability-Friendly Action Plan.
As the Age-Friendly Sacramento County initiative moves forward, we will evaluate the impact of our efforts. We will provide biannual updates to our partners and residents. Every five years, we repeat the process by developing new goals once previous ones have been completed. By continuously seeking improvements, Sacramento County will become more age and disability friendly over time.
Previous Section: Community Profile | Next Section: Mission & Vision