Davis: Older Adults ‘Backbone’ of Communities

State officials visit Penn State GA to kickoff new listening tour

By Staff Reports
The Tube City Almanac
April 25, 2025
Posted in: State & Region

Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and State Sen. Nick Pisciotanno greet Mary Esther Van Shura of AARP during an event last week at Penn State Greater Allegheny. Officials have kicked off a statewide tour to promote “age-friendly” communities for senior citizens. (Submitted photo)

Pennsylvania officials are traveling across the state to encourage communities to expand and improve services for senior citizens to make them more “age-friendly.”

Last week, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis joined Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich and local elected officials at Penn State Greater Allegheny in McKeesport to kick off the first in the series of events designed to highlight programs to keep older adults in their homes and connected to their communities.

Pennsylvania is the fifth-oldest state in the nation by population. State officials said that one in four Pennsylvanians is over the age of 60, and that number is expected to rise to one in three by 2030.

“Older adults in Allegheny County and here in my hometown of McKeesport are the backbone of our communities,” Davis said in a release. “They are our family, friends and neighbors who have made great contributions in our lives that benefit all of us.

“The organizers of age-friendly communities here in southwest Pennsylvania are making a positive impact, and I applaud their work and dedication as we welcome new faces to the table to expand these initiatives,” he said.

State officials said that “age-friendly” communities are ones that include reliable access to transportation, housing, outdoor spaces, health services, social and civic participation, and community information.

Organizers of last week’s event said that the global “age-friendly” designation was created by the World Health Organization in 2010, and the concept was brought to the United States by AARP — formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons — in 2012.

There are currently about 700 communities in the country that have been designated as “age-friendly,” including 10 in Pennsylvania. Both the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County have achieved the designation, according to AARP.

In 2024, Pennsylvania released what it called a “10-year-long road map,” or strategic plan, for improving community services for the state’s 3 million senior citizens.

The plan, called “Aging Our Way, PA,” includes five goals — offering fair and affordable services, allowing people to age safely in their own homes, providing safe transportation for people unable to drive, supporting caregivers for older adults, and educating community groups about services available for older adults.

The entire plan is available online.

Davis and Kavulich were joined at Penn State Greater Allegheny by U.S. Rep. Summer Lee; State Sen. Nick Pisciottano; Megan Nagel, regional chancellor of Penn State Greater Allegheny and other campuses; Elizabeth Farmer, dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work; Laura Poskin, executive director of Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh; Mary Esther Van Shura, executive council member of AARP; Paul Winkler, a board member at the Southwest PA Partnership for Aging; and former Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, who now serves as executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

Organizers of last week’s event said that as Pennsylvanians age, where they live should match their needs and value the contributions they have made throughout their lives.

"The age-friendly movement is about choosing to see the potential in ourselves, each other and our communities,” Poskin said. “This is our opportunity to innovate and come together as neighbors — across generations and sectors — to advance age inclusion. A state that's more accessible and welcoming is better for older people — and better for everyone.”

Kavulich said the “Aging Our Way, PA” plan is keeping state officials focused on the changing needs of residents.

The event at Penn State Greater Allegheny also was designed to showcase community partners such as Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh and Southwest PA Partnership for Aging, organizers said. Both groups offered presentations on what an age-friendly community looks like and shared some success stories.

“We also look to great partners like those here in southwest PA that are leading the charge in creating age-friendly communities for all,” Kavulich said. “The Department is excited to have Lieutenant Governor Davis joining us and we are grateful for his efforts to highlight the great work being done to develop age-friendly communities here in southwest PA, and for the Shapiro administration’s leadership in making older adults a priority.”

Originally published April 25, 2025.

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