SACRAMENTO – Recognizing that California’s over-65 population is projected to grow to 8.6 million by 2030, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order calling for the creation of Master Plan for Aging to be developed by October 1, 2020.

The Master Plan will serve as a blueprint that can be used by state government, local communities, private organizations and philanthropy to build environments that promote healthy aging.

“The Golden State is getting grayer and we need to be ready for the major population changes headed our way,” Newsom said in a statement.

“An aging population will introduce new opportunities for economic and community growth but also drive increased health and long-term care costs,” he said. “We need a plan that brings everyone to the table – local communities, labor, private sector and philanthropy – to help us understand what’s coming and guide us toward taking better care of older Californians.”

The governor’s action directs the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency to convene a cabinet-level Workgroup for Aging to advise the Secretary in developing and issuing the Master Plan.

Additionally, the California Health and Human Services Agency, along with other state partners, will convene a Master Plan for Aging Stakeholder Advisory Committee, which will include a Research Subcommittee and a Long-Term Care Subcommittee, with an interest in building an age-friendly California.

These subcommittees are expected to include older Californians, adults with disabilities, local government representatives, health care providers, health plans, employers, community-based organizations, foundations, academic researchers and organized labor.

The Long-Term Care Subcommittee is tasked with issuing a report to the Governor by March 2020 on stabilizing state long-term care programs and infrastructure, including In-Home Supportive Services, with the full Master Plan completed by October 2020.

The Workgroup’s focus will go beyond just the health and human services area. The academic research is clear: underlying social factors, such as transportation and housing, have a significant impact on an individual’s health outcomes and well-being.

Additionally, the Master Plan will look beyond public programs and be inclusive of all older Californians. There are many older Californians that don’t utilize or have access to public programs and services the state administers and this Master Plan must include them too.

Newsom first called for the creation of the Master Plan for Aging during his State of the State Address. He said that “it must address: person-centered care, the patchwork of public services, social isolation, bed-locked seniors in need of transportation, the nursing shortage, and demand for In-Home Supportive Services that far outpaces its capacity.”

In the coming weeks and months, the Administration will engage with stakeholders, local and county government partners and the Legislature to begin meaningful progress in establishing the Master Plan for Aging.

A copy of the executive order can be found here.