The Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) has received formal approval from the Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee at the Administration for Community Living (formerly the Administration on Aging) for Delaware’s new State Plan on Aging.

In her approval letter, Assistant Secretary Greenlee noted, “The broad, comprehensive scope of the Plan reflects the State’s commitment to receiving input from a variety of sources, seniors and caregivers to the Ombudsman and subject matter experts. Additionally, your plan is unique in it seeks to improve the lives of older Delawareans and their caregivers not solely through service enhancement, but also through promoting excellence in program management and opportunities for staff development.”

The State Plan has been developed to meet the requirements of the Older Americans Act which provides funding for a variety of programs and services for older Delawareans and their caregivers including supportive services, nutrition programs, disease prevention and  health promotion initiatives, elder rights protection activities, and caregiver support programs. The plan will be effective from October 2012 through September 2015 and will focus on such issues as:

• Sustaining and expanding the scope of the Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), which provides personalized assistance to help families find and use community services.
• Addressing support issues of targeted populations including individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.
• Reaching out to caregivers to more effectively identify their support needs.
• Promoting telehealth and other new methods of service delivery to ease access to medical and long term services and supports.
• Changing the service delivery system to ensure greater consumer direction of services.
• Supporting the expansion of home and community-based services.

DSAAPD invites you to download a copy of the approved State Plan on Aging. If you have questions or if you would like more information about the Plan, please contact the ADRC and ask to speak with a representative of DSAAPD's Planning Unit.