Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) today announced the release of the performance results of two more local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) as part of its mission to provide more transparency and accountability of Pennsylvania’s AAA network, which delivers services to older adults to help them stay healthy, safe and thriving in their homes of choice as they age.
Earlier this year, the Department officially launched its new Comprehensive Agency Performance Evaluation, or CAPE. This innovative tool transforms the Department’s prior monitoring approach into a more holistic philosophy, where each of Pennsylvania’s 52 AAAs is evaluated for different performance metrics during a singular monitoring review instead of over a course of multiple visits, with the ultimate goal of ensuring older adults are protected and safe in their communities.
Two more AAAs – Northampton and Perry – join the growing list of agencies that have recently been evaluated, bringing the total number of results for AAAs on PDA’s website to 10, with more to follow in the coming months:
- Armstrong
- Beaver
- Centre
- Chester
- Lehigh
- Mifflin/Juniata
- Northampton
- Perry
- Venango
- York
“Thanks to the hard work of dozens of professionals, including protective services and data experts in launching CAPE, the public can now see how well their local AAA is performing in major program areas, such as investigative activities related to suspected elder abuse and helping older adults at home with tasks of daily living,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. “This is information that has never been publicly shared by the Department. Few – if any – other states are now providing as much transparency about the performance of their AAAs as Pennsylvania.”
CAPE represents the first major overhaul and upgrade of the Department’s monitoring system in decades. In April, for the first time ever, PDA began posting performance results on its website for AAAs monitored under CAPE.
Performance evaluations will include things like:
- Older Adult Protective Services (documentation requirements, data management, administrative oversight, risk mitigation and safety, and investigative activities); and
- OPTIONS (help at home) and the Caregiver Support Program (documentation requirements, data management, administrative oversight, care management, program eligibility, and policy and fiscal operations)
Results of CAPE will be routinely posted to the Department’s website, with clearly defined, simple key categories for each AAA.
ADvancing States, a leading national advocacy association for older adults and people with disabilities, has championed Pennsylvania’s CAPE model as part of its mission to design, improve, and sustain state systems that deliver long-term services and supports for older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers.
“ADvancing States commends the Pennsylvania Department of Aging for its leadership in launching the Comprehensive Aging Performance Evaluation,” said Martha Roherty, Executive Director of ADvancing States. “This innovative approach to monitoring, with its strong emphasis on accountability and quality improvement – particularly within Older Adult Protective Services – sets a powerful example of system modernization. We believe this model has the potential to inform and inspire similar efforts in other states as they seek to strengthen services for older adults and improve outcomes across their aging networks.”
Under the new system, the Department will continue to monitor AAA data and performance monthly; in addition, each AAA will be comprehensively monitored on a consistent schedule, with regular communications in-between those monitorings to discuss the outcomes, ensure that they are taking steps toward any needed performance improvement and provide additional training and technical assistance as needed.
INVESTING IN OLDER ADULTS
The new system is part of the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of Pennsylvania’s rapidly growing older adult population and making certain the Commonwealth remains a place where they can thrive in their golden years. In 2023, Governor Josh Shapiro directed the Department of Aging to produce a 10-year strategic road map to meet the needs of older adults, called Aging Our Way, PA, while his 2025-26 budget proposal includes $2 million to increase accountability and oversight of the AAA network, and a $20 million investment for those AAAs so they can continue to provide key services to older adults.
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging works with a network of 52 AAAs to deliver services to older adults. The Department disburses millions of dollars annually to AAAs to fund these services, and one of the Department’s most important responsibilities is to monitor the performance of each AAA to make sure they are meeting performance standards. However, the Department’s system for doing so has previously been fragmented, inconsistently scheduled, and did not focus on objective measures.
Learn more about how Pennsylvania is serving the needs of older adults at the Department of Aging's website.