No. 23: Establishing the New York State Master Plan for Aging

No. 23

E X E C U T I V E O R D E R

Establishing the New York State Master Plan for Aging

WHEREAS, New York has demonstrated its commitment to an age-friendly environment to ensure that all New Yorkers can age with dignity and independence through policies that promote the value of healthy, meaningful aging; these policies include the New York State Prevention Agenda, Health Across All Policies, Age-Friendly New York, the Age-Friendly Health System Initiative, and the New York State Plan on Aging;

WHEREAS, New York has the fourth-largest population of older adults in the U.S., with 3.2 million New Yorkers (16 percent of the population) over 65. New York’s population of those over the age of 60 is projected to grow to 5.3 million by 2030 with those over eighty years of age exceeding 1.2 million; By 2030, it is projected that 25 percent of the population in more than 51 counties will be 60 and older with at least 30 percent of the population in 18 counties 60 or older. The older adult population is growing faster than any other age group in the state;

WHEREAS, New York takes great pride in being named the first Age-Friendly State in the nation by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), a status based on the World Health Organization’s eight domains of livability: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, work and civic engagement, communication and information, community and health services;

WHEREAS, New York has been a leader in advancing policies that address social determinants of health, including the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, play, and age, as well as the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life, which have a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of all people;

WHEREAS, the majority of New Yorkers want to remain in the State during their retirement years. Older adults and baby boomers generate sixty-three percent of the household income in the State, supporting the economy and the tax base;

WHEREAS, with aging there is an increase in health care utilization and health-related conditions, including chronic diseases. New York needs to assure that our health care system is prepared to handle the coming demands and preferences for care, especially long term care;

WHEREAS, the public funding of long-term care through Medicaid and Medicare is substantial, and should support the broad goals of healthy aging;

WHEREAS, health care workforce issues must be addressed, along with ways to better support informal and family caregivers;

WHEREAS, older adults, and those with disabilities, should be able to choose to remain in their communities and whereas meaningful choice requires access to a broad range of public and private programs, resources, and supports, including health care, home care, food and nutrition, human services, housing and transportation;

WHEREAS, family caregivers struggle to balance work and caregiving, provide essential care for older adults and those with disabilities, and demand for this family care is growing.

WHEREAS, issues regarding access to affordable, suitable housing, transportation, the ability to age in place, mental health, isolation, ageism, opportunities for civic engagement and the prevention of elder abuse must be addressed in a comprehensive manner;

WHEREAS, it is important for the State to prioritize the needs of our aging population with a positive focus and to engage the public and those who serve older citizens in a meaningful planning process;

WHEREAS, planning for the opportunities and challenges that will result from change in the State’s aging population, so New Yorkers of all ages can continue to live fulfilling lives, as independently as possible, in good health, and with the freedom to choose to age in place, requires a new level of strategic planning;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Laws of the State of New York, and more specifically, Article IV, Section 1 of the New York State Constitution do hereby order and direct as follows:

1. That a New York State Master Plan for Aging shall coordinate existing and new state policy and programs creating a blueprint of strategies to be implemented to ensure older New Yorkers can live fulfilling lives, in good health, with freedom, dignity and independence to age in place for as long as possible.

2. The New York State Department of Health, in coordination with the State Office for the Aging, shall convene a Master Plan for Aging Council to advise the Governor in developing the New York State Master Plan for Aging. The Commissioner of Health, or their designee, shall serve as the Chair of the Council, and the Acting Director, or their designee, of the State Office for the Aging, shall serve as the Vice Chair of the Council. Members of the Council shall include the Commissioners and Directors of relevant Executive agencies and offices, as determined by the Governor, or their designees.

3. Executive branch agencies are directed to participate on and assist with the work of the Master Plan for Aging Council.

4. The Master Plan for Aging Council shall be convened within sixty days of the enactment of this order and present the recommended Master Plan for Aging to the Governor for issuance no later than twenty-four months following the first meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
   
5. The New York State Department of Health, in coordination the State Office for the Aging and Master Plan for Aging Council, shall convene a Stakeholder Advisory Committee to advise the Governor and the Master Plan for Aging Council in the development of the Master Plan. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Council shall serve as the Chair and Vice Chair of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
   
   1. The Stakeholder Advisory Committee shall include representation from a broad array of those committed to the planning necessary to keep and improve New York’s standing as one of the most age-friendly states. The Advisory Committee members shall be recommended by the Chair and Vice Chair, and may include, but not be limited to, health care and support service providers, consumers, informal caregivers, older adults - particularly those in communities experiencing disparities, health plans, labor organizations, community-based organizations, employers, experts on aging, academic researchers, foundations, local governments, and tribal communities.
      
   2. The Stakeholder Advisory Committee shall prepare a preliminary report within six-months of the first meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee that details the intended activities of the Committee and shall include target measures that will be tracked over time. Reports detailing the Committee’s activities and progress shall be available upon request.
      
   3. The Stakeholder Advisory Committee shall prepare an advisory report to be delivered to the Master Plan for Aging Council and the Governor, no later than eighteen months following the first meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
      
   4. The Stakeholder Advisory Committee shall have subcommittees dedicated to long term care services and supports, community-based services, and caregivers. These subcommittees shall make a report directly to the Advisory Committee, the Master Plan for Aging Council and the Governor within twelve months following the first meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
      
   5. The Stakeholder Advisory Committee may form additional subcommittees.

6. The Master Plan for Aging plan development process shall include ongoing opportunities for engagement with the public, which may include public comment periods during Advisory Committee meetings, town hall or similar forums for input, or any other means of public engagement deemed appropriate by the Chair.

7. The Master Plan for Aging Council and the Master Plan for Aging Advisory Committee shall have the authority to convene meetings, form subcommittees, workgroups and focus groups to work on specific issues, and create a website for the purpose of posting notices, meeting materials and other information necessary to carry out the development of the Master Plan for Aging.

G I V E N under my hand and the Privy Seal of the State

in the City of Albany this fourth day of

November in the year two thousand

twenty-two.

BY THE GOVERNOR

Secretary to the Governor