New year: Same mission – Advocating for older adults
By Najja R. Orr, DBA, FCPP, PCA President & CEO
Every morning, Maria, 78, opens her door to greet the volunteer delivering her hot meal. For Maria, who lives alone and uses a walker, this daily visit is more than just food — it’s a lifeline. It’s the reassurance that someone cares, the ability to stay in her home, and a connection to the community she’s loved for decades. But for thousands of older adults, like Maria, these lifelines are at risk due to years of stagnant funding for vital programs.
Every one of the more than 316,000 older Philadelphians deserves the right to age in their own community and have access to services and resources that support a healthy and active life. Older Philadelphians rely on crucial programs provided by PCA and our partners to live independently. These include home-delivered meals, health and wellness programs, information and referral, job placement, protective services, and senior community centers. PCA’s more than 30 programs touch the lives of over 140,000 older adults each year.
Since its inception in 1973, PCA has advocated for the needs of older adults on the local, state and federal levels. This -advocacy includes calling for legislation and appropriate funding to ensure older adults have the resources and services they need to not just survive, but to thrive. Our mission as an organization is to ensure that older adults can remain in their communities with dignity. It’s essential that there is a voice to ensure that resources and programs exist to allow them to do so.
Unfortunately, despite record inflation affecting costs, Pennsylvania’s 2024-25 budget did not include a funding increase for Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), such as PCA, to provide these critical services. The aging network has generally received flat funding for more than 10 years.
The lack of sufficient funding, coupled with the ongoing increase in the number of older adults needing support, will force difficult decisions regarding who gets services. Without a significant increase for AAAs in the 2025-26 budget, older Pennsylvanians will likely face waiting lists, reductions or terminations for services, such as transportation and home health care. The failure to invest in these community-based services and supports will ultimately lead to more older adults needing nursing home care.
On behalf of older Philadelphians, their caregivers and families, PCA urges older adults and the public to contact Pennsylvania legislators to ask them to provide the necessary funding in next year’s Pennsylvania budget. Find your legislator at www.legis.state.pa.us.
For more information about PCA, call the PCA Helpline at 215-765-9040.
