Article by Beth Ann Margetta, Fairfax Area Agency on Aging

(Posted 2026 July)

SHAPE the Future of Aging is a strategic plan to support aging well in the Fairfax Area. At the June Older Adults Committee meeting, we shared the latest progress on the SHAPE Plan with the Board of Supervisors. SHAPE guides our work to support older adults, caregivers, and adults with disabilities in Fairfax County. It also helps our community partners as they plan programs and services. The plan aligns with the Countywide Strategic Plan and One Fairfax.

Completed Initiatives:

• A Market Research and Awareness campaign has been completed. We learned more about how to improve public awareness of Adult and Aging services. Many of the recommendations have been put in place to help people find the support they need.
• The “Exploring the Dimensions of Aging” Embodied Labs pilot initiative is now an established program. This initiative, led by Inova ElderLink, offers immersive virtual learning modules that help both professional and family caregivers better understand the aging experience, including end of life planning conversations.
• A “Consumer Guide to Home Repair and Renovation” was created. This initiative was developed through collaboration with Rebuilding Together and the County’s Department of Housing and Community Development. This guide helps provide resources for older adults to age in place safely. It is now available on the Fairfax County Adult and Aging webpage in multiple top languages spoken in our community: FairfaxCounty.gov/familyservices/older-adults/home-repair-and-renovation
• The “Creating the Fairfax Culture of Connection” pilot was completed this year. This effort focused on reducing loneliness and increasing inclusion of older adults. The initiative created tools to help neighborhoods and communities strengthen social connection which will be made available online.
• Financial Planning seminars for budgeting on a fixed income have been offered through a partnership with Britepaths and Fairfax County Senior Centers. These financial planning seminars are available at senior centers and through the Virtual Center for Active Adults.
   

New Initiatives

• An initiative to assess and strengthen the Community Ambassador Program. A survey of current ambassadors will help guide improvements. The initiative seeks to learn how to strengthen this program, which uses trusted community members to share information in many languages across the community.
• A “Housing Affordability Case Brief” will highlight housing challenges faced by older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers. It will also offer recommendations to improve housing solutions with a focus on the needs of older adults.
• “Silver Shield Scam Information Text Alerts” offers scam prevention text alerts through Fairfax Alerts. A Fairfax Alerts channel was developed to increase awareness of scam and fraud information. Follow the instructions below to sign up to receive the alerts. 

Scam Alerts Now Available

A new Fairfax Alerts channel "Silver Shield Scam and Fraud Information" is now available for text updates on scam and fraud prevention. Its goal is to provide subscribers with scam resource information and send alerts when scams rise to a heightened level of concern in the community. Signing up is quick and free:

1. Go to bit.ly/FFXAlerts
2. If you are not an existing user, register for Fairfax Alerts
3. To subscribe to this channel, choose Area Agency on Aging
4. Then, select Silver Shield - Scam and Fraud Information. 

Community Outreach

Improving awareness of services remains a major focus. Adult and Aging has updated its printed and online materials, added large print formats, improved navigation on its website, and expanded information available in multiple languages. Public service announcements were also created to highlight key services. Through new partnerships, printed materials are reaching more places across the county, including community events and nonprofit outreach.

Highlights

• An Advance Care Planning workshop can be found online for residents to watch any time. The workshop is available on the Advance Care Planning hub: FairfaxCounty.gov/familyservices/older-adults/advance-care-planning
• The Adult and Aging Partner Toolkit now provides ready to use flyers and social media posts for community groups: FairfaxCounty.gov/familyservices/older-adults/partner-toolkit
• CARE Mobile, a SHAPE partner, won a statewide Best Practices Award for its innovative neighborhood based programming.
• The StrongerMemory pilot is a brain health program, which was highlighted at the Older Adults Committee meeting. It continues to grow and is now offered in all senior centers. 

The full SHAPE report and yearly updates are available on the County’s SHAPE webpage: FairfaxCounty.gov/topics/shape-future-aging.

This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).

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