RD417 - 2011 Biennial Progress Report on Virginia’s Four-Year Plan for Aging Services "Across the Continuum — Across the Commonwealth"


Executive Summary:
Two years ago, a workgroup of aging advocates, educators, service providers, and state agency representatives developed "Virginia’s Four-Year Plan for Aging Services" (available at http://vda.virginia.gov/pdfdocs/FourYearPlanForAgingServices-RD461-2009.pdf) to address the needs and leverage the strengths of a rapidly aging population. The plan recognized the great variability among older adults, a continuum that ranges from those most in need of assistance to those representing natural resources, with time and talents largely untapped.

Although the "Four-Year Plan" painted a comprehensive picture of current services and future needs, it was merely a first-step and served more as a foundational report than a plan. Since then, great strides have been made, using the initial report as the framework, developing strategies, actions steps, and evaluative measures. Additionally, four areas of focus with related recommendations were designated as priority by the workgroup: Mental Healthcare; Gerontological Education—Workforce Development/Preparedness; Virginia’s “No Wrong Door” Initiative; and the Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP). Recommendations specific to these areas were elevated and adopted by champion teams, accountable for advancing the strategies and tracking progress. Individual champions were identified for each of the remaining recommendations, which were then categorized by ones that could be accomplished administratively and those that required policy changes and/or funding. Additionally, there have been diligent efforts to collaborate with existing groups whenever possible and consolidate efforts to pursue common solutions.

The workgroup also solicited public comment on the "Four-Year Plan," which provided overwhelming support for the content and recommendations. The 224 survey respondents also answered questions related to responsibility. Overall, they agreed that it should be shared but the majority considered government to bear the greatest responsibility in preparing for the impact of the aging population.

This "Biennial Progress Report" is designed to serve as an addendum to the original Four-Year Plan and to reflect the steps that have been taken to move forward with the workgroup’s recommendations. To begin, it is important to understand how the landscape has changed and any additional influences that may expedite or hinder progress (pages 2-3). Details are shared on the four priorities (pages 4-7) and “Progress at a Glance” (page 8) provides a current snapshot of the recommendations from the original "Four-Year Plan."