Two in-person listening sessions are scheduled for Carbon County in September on the state’s “Master Plan for Older Adults.”

The 10-year, state-led and stakeholder-driven strategic plan is designed to help transform the infrastructure and coordination of services for older Pennsylvanians. State officials said the plan will also reflect the needs and preferences of this population to live where they choose and access the supports they need to thrive and age in place.

“These listening sessions are meeting people where they are in convenient community locations that should be familiar to older adults and the public. The sessions will provide an opportunity to dissect AARP’s 8 Domains and what attendees feel should be incorporated into the plan,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. “The Master Plan will be crafted by Pennsylvanians, for Pennsylvanians. We want to create a plan that the department, its stakeholders, older adults, all Pennsylvanians can stand by. I encourage anyone if they plan on aging in our commonwealth to invest in their future by attending at least one of the listening sessions.”

Listening sessions are scheduled for the Weatherly Senior Center, 335 Third St., at 1 p.m. on Sept. 11, and the Lehighton Senior Center, 243 South Eighth St., at 1 p.m. Sept. 19.

During the sessions, the Carbon County Area Agency on Aging will present an overview of the plan with a concentration on AARP’s “8 Domains of Livability for Age-Friendly Communities.”

These domains assess the characteristics of a community or state that make it more acceptable for the older adult population, with benefits for all residents. The availability and quality of the domains are known to improve quality of life for older adults in all communities.

A survey, designed to capture the experience of older adults and adults with disabilities, is available at https://tinyurl.com/2d7nfz3r until the end of September. The Department of Aging’s webpage dedicated to the Master Plan for Older Adults is aging.pa.gov/MasterPlan.

“We are all aging. The 52 Area Agencies on Aging are hosting these listening sessions on Pennsylvania’s Master Plan for Older Adults to ensure all Pennsylvanians have the opportunity to use our collective ingenuity to improve older people’s lives. Providing these forums in communities across Pennsylvania offers a unique chance to create a Commonwealth where older Pennsylvanians can fully participate in and contribute to our communities now and in the future,” said Rebecca May-Cole, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging.