Pennsylvania Joins AARP's Age-Friendly Network

Rhonda Wassil’s life was turned upside down in 2023 when she left her job as a third grade teacher to become a full-time caregiver for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease.

Wassil, 63, of Jessup, found herself completely overwhelmed and frustrated when her mother’s neurologist handed her a thick book on dementia — but no advice. “I was like, ‘Really?’ ” she recalls. “There was no training. Nothing on what to expect.”

But she found a way forward after contacting the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging, which connected her with a local adult day program through Telespond Senior Services in Scranton. When Wassil asked for advice after her mother woke up in the middle of the night and tried to walk out of her home in Jessup, they offered a solution: alarms on the doors. “If they don’t have the answer, they’ll find it for me,” she says.

Telespond is a member of Age Friendly Lackawanna, a collaborative of nearly 30 local organizations that work to provide services, resources and advocacy for older residents.

Such initiatives in communities across the state are why Pennsylvania recently became the 13th state or territory to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. The network helps local leaders assess needs in a variety of areas — including transportation, housing, public spaces and social engagement — that affect quality of life for residents of all ages.

The goal is to empower communities to make changes themselves, says Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich.

“When you take care of the needs of older Pennsylvanians, you’re helping the whole community,” Kavulich notes. “Every sidewalk you fix, every parking lot you light, all of those things benefit every one of us.”

The age-friendly designation comes after the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) last year launched the Aging Our Way, PA 10-year plan, which focuses on ways to help older Pennsylvanians age in their own homes and communities.

Of the 13 million people in Pennsylvania, 3.4 million — or about 1 in 4 — are age 60 and over. By 2030, that age group is projected to surpass 3.8 million, accounting for 1 in 3 Pennsylvanians, state data shows.

‘Make it a better place’

Kavulich says communities across Pennsylvania are coming together to share ideas.

In Lackawanna County, Wassil plans to go with her mother to a “memory cafe,” where caregivers and people with dementia do puzzles and other low-stimulation activities.

“You’re welcome without being judged or criticized,” says Sara McDonald, director of the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging, which works with the United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike on initiatives.

A growing number of people are designated as “dementia friends” after attending one-hour information and discussion sessions. The agency is also working with restaurants to designate them as dementia-friendly.

In the western part of the state, Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh from 2022-2024 awarded $30,000 each to Clairton, Coraopolis and Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood for age-friendly initiatives.

“You know your community. Why don’t you tell us what’s going to make it a better place to live as we age,” says Laura Poskin, the group’s executive director.

In Clairton, residents developed a yoga program for people of all ages. In Coraopolis, the residents of a high-rise with many older adults requested a twice-monthly van ride to a shopping plaza. Not only does it provide an important source of transportation, it also becomes a social activity.

“We chitter-chatter on the bus,” says JoAnne Brozenick, a 73-year-old who doesn’t drive.

Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh also has successfully advocated for more visible bus seating for older residents and passengers with disabilities on more than 300 buses in the county.

Go to aarp.org/agefriendly to learn more. ■

Cristina Rouvalis, a writer based in Pennsylvania, covers business, health care and other issues. She has written for the Bulletin for more than a decade.

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