Background

The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), in collaboration with community partners, provides and advocates for resources and services to improve the employment, quality of life, security, and independence of older Virginians, Virginians with disabilities, and their families.

In accordance with the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA), as amended, and pursuant to § 51.5-136 of the Code of Virginia, DARS, as the designated state unit on aging (SUA), is mandated to submit a state plan on aging services to the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Governor and the Virginia General Assembly. DARS developed the State Plan for Aging Services in collaboration with the state’s aging network, including older adults who receive services, caregivers of individuals of all ages, DARS aging advisory boards, the Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), other state agencies, and stakeholders.

Contributions and Needs of Older Virginians

Virginia’s population, like that of the nation, is becoming older and more diverse. Today, nearly 1.9 million Virginians are aged 60 or older, a number that is projected to increase to 2.2 million in 2030. Similarly, the share of Virginia’s population aged 65 and older is expected to grow from 15.9% in 2020 to 18.9% in 2030. In some small and rural localities, such as Highland, Lancaster, and Middlesex Counties, residents aged 65 and older already comprise more than 30% of the county’s total population.

Older adults make significant contributions to our communities through paid work, volunteering, and caregiving, among a myriad of other ways. In conducting a needs assessment for this plan, DARS found that older Virginians provide an estimated $38.5 billion in paid and unpaid contributions to the Commonwealth.

In a survey of older Virginians conducted in 2022, 79% of older Virginians rated their overall quality of life as excellent or good. Most respondents scored their communities positively, and about 50% indicated that their communities valued older residents.

Yet, many older Virginians have also indicated that they need additional support to age in their homes and communities. In that same survey, the largest challenges were found to be in the areas of housing, mental health, and physical health. At least 45% of older residents reported at least one item in these categories was a major or moderate problem in the 12 months prior to taking the survey. Other areas of challenge that were identified through the survey included finances and cost of living, mobility and transportation, and accessing information about available services.

The survey findings were similarly reflected in focus groups and interviews conducted with stakeholders, older adults, and caregivers. The twelve themes that emerged from analysis of the listening sessions provide a broad representation of the varying issues impacting older adults and aging services providers in the Commonwealth. From those themes, education and training as well as outreach and marketing were highlighted as opportunities for investment to meet the identified needs and better serve older adults across the Commonwealth.

Providing Aging Services Now and Into the Future

DARS administers programs and services funded by the OAA, federal grants, and state general funds. DARS provides funding to and oversees 25 AAAs that plan, coordinate, and administer aging services at the community level. In addition, DARS hosts the State Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman Program and is involved in a variety of collaborative initiatives aimed at helping older adults to remain in their home and community as long as they choose. DARS also oversees the Adult Services (AS) and Adult Protective Services (APS) delivery system in the Commonwealth.

In providing services to adults aged 60 and older and their caregivers, AAAs maintain local service provider networks and relationships with community-based organizations, senior centers, and local governments in support of the OAA and a coordinated service system. AAAs also maintain a comprehensive No Wrong Door (NWD) system that coordinates services and assists with the implementation of case management and eligibility requirements.

With about $38.7 million in ongoing federal funding for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2022, $75.4 million in one-time, time limited federal COVID-19 recovery funding, and $24.3 million in ongoing state general funds for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2022 for aging-related services, DARS is committed monitoring and overseeing the quality and fidelity of aging programs. The business model of the aging network and AAAs is changing rapidly, and key partners in Virginia are already evaluating these changes to identify new opportunities. DARS and its aging network partners continue to seek ways to grow services through ACL grants, grants from other federal agencies, and by maximizing existing funding and other potential lines of business.

As Virginia moves beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and into the next four years, DARS will focus on the goals, objectives and strategies identified in this plan as well as efforts to align nutrition programs; engage Virginia’s aging advisory boards; lead with data collection, analysis, and reporting; and leverage No Wrong Door. The outcomes from this work will prove invaluable in further identifying and assessing unmet needs, working to meet those needs and provide high quality services, and capitalizing on current and future collaborative initiatives. Working in partnership with ACL and Virginia’s aging network, DARS has adopted the following goals for October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2027:

GOAL 1: Provide high-quality, innovative core Older Americans Act (OAA) programs

GOAL 2: Deliver evidence-based programs that encourage healthy, active, and engaged lives

GOAL 3: Promote access to aging and community services for older Virginians with the greatest economic and social needs

GOAL 4: Bolster awareness of and increase access to person-centered long-term services and supports (LTSS)

GOAL 5: Improve access to resources and services that support all caregivers