Terri Bettinger

The 2023-2026 State Plan on Aging aims to enable all Ohioans to live longer, healthier lives with dignity and autonomy, while eliminating disparities and inequities. It prioritizes key areas such as increasing life expectancy, reducing premature death, improving health status, and reducing elder abuse. The plan focuses on enhancing financial stability, housing quality, transportation access, nutrition, physical activity, healthcare coverage, and home- and community-based supports. It also addresses social inclusion, volunteerism, cognitive health, chronic pain management, and preparedness for public health emergencies, with targeted strategies for priority populations including older adults of color, those with disabilities, and those with low incomes.

Ohio's 2023-2026 State Plan on Aging aims to ensure all Ohioans can achieve optimal health and well-being as they age. The plan is influenced by the five federal priorities established by the Administration on Community Living (ACL) and guided by information gathered through a multi-phased needs assessment process. Key areas of focus include increasing life expectancy, reducing premature death, improving health status, reducing elder abuse, improving financial stability, housing quality and affordability, transportation access, nutrition, physical activity, health-care coverage and affordability, home- and community-based supports, home care workforce capacity, caregiver supports, social inclusion, volunteerism, cognitive health, cardiovascular health, and mental health. The plan seeks to leverage multi-sector partnerships and concerted efforts to strengthen Older Americans Act (OAA) services and integrate ACL non-formula-based grant programs.

The 2023-2026 State Plan on Aging for Ohio details evidence-informed strategies across various goal areas to improve outcomes for older adults. Key areas of focus include financial stability through debt advice, unemployment insurance, and employment supports; improved housing quality and affordability via low-income housing tax credits and rental assistance programs; enhanced transportation through public transit and complete streets initiatives; better nutrition via SNAP enrollment and healthy food access programs; increased physical activity through community fitness programs and active transportation options; improved healthcare coverage and affordability via health insurance enrollment support and value-based purchasing; strengthened home and community-based supports through care coordination and long-term care planning; enhanced home care workforce capacity and caregiver supports; and greater social inclusion through community engagement and self-management programs. The plan emphasizes strategies likely to reduce disparities and inequities, aligning with the 2020-2022 State Health Improvement Plan.

Ohio's 2023-2026 State Plan on Aging aims to enable all Ohioans to live longer, healthier lives with dignity and autonomy, while also eliminating disparities and inequities among older Ohioans. The plan focuses on several key areas, including increasing life expectancy, reducing premature death, improving overall health status, and reducing elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Additionally, it addresses community conditions by improving financial stability, housing quality and affordability, and transportation access. The plan also emphasizes healthy living through improved nutrition and physical activity, access to care through better healthcare coverage and home- and community-based supports, social connectedness through increased social inclusion and volunteerism, and population health by reducing cognitive difficulty, hypertension, and depression, as well as improving chronic pain management and falls prevention.

The committee received a legislative update on bills related to monitoring devices in long-term care, disability-related home expense tax credits, and expedited licensure for certain residential care facilities. Discussion also covered the Geriatric Medicine Line Item, funding for senior centers, adult protective services, the Alzheimer's Disease task force, workforce challenges, broadband expansion, and plans for the next committee hearing, including updates on the Geriatric Medicine Line Item, the operating budget, pending legislation and rules, and Lame Duck.