The SHAPE the Future of Aging Plan is a strategic plan to make Fairfax County a better place to age, where older adults can live safely, independently and with dignity.
Initially adopted by the Board of Supervisors in May 2023, The Fairfax Area Agency on Aging (AAA), in partnership with the Fairfax Area Commission on Aging, provided a year one update on the plan at the Board of Supervisors Older Adults Committee meeting in May.
About the SHAPE the Future of Aging Plan
SHAPE is an acronym that includes five areas of focus:
- Services for Older Adults and Family Caregivers
- Housing and Neighborhood Supports
- Access to Mobility Options
- Personal Well-Being
- Economic Stability and Planning
The SHAPE the Future of Aging plan is aligned with the Fairfax County Strategic Plan and OneFairfax to address the needs of older adults as the county plans for the future.
Goals of the Five Focus Areas
- Services for Older Adults and Family Caregivers aims to better understand how older adults in the community learn about county services, then develop a campaign to improve awareness of older adult services in the community.
- Housing and Neighborhood Supports focuses on increasing support for family caregivers through an immersive training platform that allows participants to “see through the eyes” of older adults who are facing real-life challenges. Initiatives include developing a consumer resource guide for home repair/modifications and promoting awareness of home-sharing resources.
- Access to Mobility Options targets the outreach of transportation resources and existing transportation options through libraries. This committee will also develop a volunteer driver recruitment study to understand the relationship between existing volunteers and recruitment strategies to bolster availability for volunteer-assisted transportation for adults.
- Personal Well-Being goals include training Fairfax Area AAA staff to address inclusion, build cultural competence and improve best practices in providing care to adults who identify as LGBTQ+. This group will also introduce the Goodwin Living program Stronger Memory Initiative, an evidence-informed program to improve brain health, which may also reduce risk of dementia, loneliness and isolation, at county senior centers.
- Economic Stability and Planning will introduce Britepaths’ financial planning seminars at county senior centers to educate older adults about financial planning on a budget and will increase awareness of scams by promoting the Silver Shield Anti-Scam program to county residents via their tax bills.
Moving Forward
The focus committees will continue to meet regularly to implement initiatives and address recommendations identified in the SHAPE the Future of Aging Plan. The Fairfax AAA, in partnership with the Fairfax Area COA, will continue to provide annual reports and updates.
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