January 2026

Department of Aging Announces First Area Agencies on Aging Selected for Development of Multidisciplinary Teams to Protect Older Adults from Abuse

The Department of Aging announced that five Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and/or coalitions within the AAA network will be among the first in Pennsylvania to receive individualized, tailored support from outside experts and the Department as they develop Multidisciplinary Teams (MDTs) to address complex protective services cases in their respective counties and regions.

MDTs are community-based groups that support the Department’s commitment to protecting older adults from abuse by bringing together professionals from various fields like social services, criminal and civil justice, mental health, medicine, finance, and public health to improve collaboration and outcomes for protective services cases. Under the leadership of Secretary Jason Kavulich, the Department has been working to bring this collaborative approach, supported by the U.S. Department of Justice and utilized by several other states including New York and California, to improve collaboration and outcomes for complex protective services cases in Pennsylvania. 

Five applications were selected through a competitive process to receive consulting from Weill Cornell Medicine. These include three individual counties – Bucks, Cumberland and Indiana – and two multi-county collaborations or “MDT Hubs,” one consisting of Lehigh, Lancaster, and Berks counties; and the second consisting of Clearfield, Jefferson, Potter, Cameron, Elk, and McKean counties.

Through this partnership, Weill Cornell Medicine will provide key technical support to help the selected AAAs establish, formalize, and enhance MDT structures. This effort works to improve cross-sector coordination, decision-making, and system effectiveness to better protect older adults. Weill Cornell Medicine will also support MDTs through evidence-based frameworks, advanced data analysis, and subject-matter consultation to ensure rigor, consistency, and measurable outcomes across all the participating AAAs and AAA hubs. The geographic diversity of the participating AAAs also enables the Department to test, refine, and scale the MDT model across rural, suburban, and regional settings.

“Our agency is excited for the opportunity to work with Weill Cornell Medicine. Over the past five years, we have seen a 55 percent increase in elder abuse cases in our county. These cases have become increasingly complex and now require deeper collaboration with a wide range of community partners,” said Indiana County Aging Services executive director Janine Maust. “We view this consultation as an essential step in supporting both the older adults we serve and the protective services workers responsible for reducing or eliminating risk. This initiative will equip us with the tools and structure needed to bring partner agencies together, strengthen communication, and engage in more effective case discussions.”

Click here to see the press conference

Protecting older Pennsylvanians from abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation is among the topics of an initiative called Aging Together in PA. Produced in partnership with public broadcasting stations WVIA (northeastern PA) and WITF (southcentral PA), the project is aimed at presenting programming and driving discussion about resources for Pennsylvania’s rapidly growing older population. Aging Together in PA is designed to educate and inform audiences about the challenges and opportunities impacting older Pennsylvanians. 

Click here to check out Aging Together in PA

Make Your Voice Heard! PDA Now Seeking Public Comment on Its PA Link Refresh Project

As part of Aging Our Way, PA – the Commonwealth’s first-ever 10-year strategic plan to improve the infrastructure of aging services – PDA has completed an evaluation of the PA Link, which serves as Pennsylvania’s Aging and Disability Resource Center network to provide access to long-term services and supports. The PA Link facilitates collaboration among Pennsylvania’s AAAs, Centers for Independent Living, and other community-based organizations to ensure seamless service delivery across the Commonwealth.  

The evaluation included the creation of a strategic plan to improve and redesign the PA Link to better serve older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers. The entire project was informed by extensive stakeholder engagement, including consultation of an advisory committee.

PDA is currently seeking public input on the PA Link refresh plan. The Department will also host a listening session on the plan on Tuesday, January 27 at 2 PM.

Click for public comment form

New PA Law Maintains PACE/PACENET Enrollee Benefits Through 2027

More than 250,000 older adults depend on Pennsylvania’s prescription assistance programs, PACE and PACENET, to be able to afford life-saving medications. However, due to Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), about 20,000 of those enrollees were facing disqualifying increases in their overall income.

Governor Josh Shapiro recently signed legislation into law to protect these older Pennsylvanians by maintaining their PACE prescription medication benefits. House Bill 923, now Act 49 of 2025, renews the cost-of-living moratorium for PACE/PACENET through December 31, 2027. The original moratorium was set to expire December 31, 2025.

Learn more about PACE and PACENET by visiting the Department of Aging’s website

PA CareKit is a Hit! More Than 150,000 Pennsylvanians Have Visited PDA’s Website for Resources for Unpaid Caregivers

Since PDA’s launch of the PA CareKit in May – a resource to support the Commonwealth’s nearly 2.4 million unpaid caregivers – more than 150,000 people have taken advantage of the tailored services available on the Department’s website.

The PA CareKit can help caregivers with training, connections to respite services, and personalized tools to help caregivers like spouses, adult children, and grandparents raising grandchildren address their unique situations.

Nearly 6,600 Pennsylvanians have visited the PA CareKit Caregiver Quiz, a tool that helps them understand their needs and receive tailored support and resources based on their caregiving situation.

The Department has been spreading the word about the PA CareKit through a digital marketing campaign and by unveiling the PA CareKit in person to caregivers and advocates in communities across the Commonwealth. Television ads will launch in early 2026.

Printed materials from the PA CareKit are available for free at community libraries, the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, and Senior Community Centers across the Commonwealth – and an electronic version is available on the Department’s website.

Looking Back

Legislation

H.B. 923 (Rivera) – PACE Cost of Living Adjustment
- Signed into law as Act 49 of 2025 on November 24.
H.B. 1528 (Madden) – Grandfamily Assistance Program
- Amended and received final passage in the House on November 19.
- Referred to the Senate Aging and Youth Committee on November 24.
S.B. 1100 (Collett) – Authorizing the Development of AAA Fatality Review Teams
- Introduced and referred to the Senate Aging and Youth Committee on November 24.

Looking Ahead

2026 Session Schedule

House

January: 6 (NV), 26, 27, 28
February: 2, 3, 4
March: 23, 24, 25
April: 13, 14, 15, 27, 28, 29
May: 4, 5, 6
June: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
September: 28, 29, 30
October: 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21
November: 9, 10

Senate

January: 6, 26, 27, 28
February: 2, 3, 4
March: 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25
April: 20, 21, 22
May: 4, 5, 6
June: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30

January 2026

Department of Aging Announces First Area Agencies on Aging Selected for Development of Multidisciplinary Teams to Protect Older Adults from Abuse

Click here to see the press conference

Click here to check out Aging Together in PA

Make Your Voice Heard! PDA Now Seeking Public Comment on Its PA Link Refresh Project

The evaluation included the creation of a strategic plan to improve and redesign the PA Link to better serve older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers. The entire project was informed by extensive stakeholder engagement, including consultation of an advisory committee.

PDA is currently seeking public input on the PA Link refresh plan. The Department will also host a listening session on the plan on Tuesday, January 27 at 2 PM.

Click for public comment form

New PA Law Maintains PACE/PACENET Enrollee Benefits Through 2027

Learn more about PACE and PACENET by visiting the Department of Aging’s website

PA CareKit is a Hit! More Than 150,000 Pennsylvanians Have Visited PDA’s Website for Resources for Unpaid Caregivers

Since PDA’s launch of the PA CareKit in May – a resource to support the Commonwealth’s nearly 2.4 million unpaid caregivers – more than 150,000 people have taken advantage of the tailored services available on the Department’s website.

The PA CareKit can help caregivers with training, connections to respite services, and personalized tools to help caregivers like spouses, adult children, and grandparents raising grandchildren address their unique situations.

Nearly 6,600 Pennsylvanians have visited the PA CareKit Caregiver Quiz, a tool that helps them understand their needs and receive tailored support and resources based on their caregiving situation.

The Department has been spreading the word about the PA CareKit through a digital marketing campaign and by unveiling the PA CareKit in person to caregivers and advocates in communities across the Commonwealth. Television ads will launch in early 2026.

Printed materials from the PA CareKit are available for free at community libraries, the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, and Senior Community Centers across the Commonwealth – and an electronic version is available on the Department’s website.

Looking Back

Legislation

H.B. 923 (Rivera) – PACE Cost of Living Adjustment

Signed into law as Act 49 of 2025 on November 24.

H.B. 1528 (Madden) – Grandfamily Assistance Program

Amended and received final passage in the House on November 19.

Referred to the Senate Aging and Youth Committee on November 24.

S.B. 1100 (Collett) – Authorizing the Development of AAA Fatality Review Teams

Introduced and referred to the Senate Aging and Youth Committee on November 24.

Looking Ahead

2026 Session Schedule

House

January: 6 (NV), 26, 27, 28

February: 2, 3, 4

March: 23, 24, 25

April: 13, 14, 15, 27, 28, 29

May: 4, 5, 6

June: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

September: 28, 29, 30

October: 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21

November: 9, 10

Senate

January: 6, 26, 27, 28

February: 2, 3, 4

March: 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25

April: 20, 21, 22

May: 4, 5, 6

June: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30

PA CareKit is a Hit! More Than 150,000 Pennsylvanians Have Visited PDA’s Website for Resources for Unpaid Caregivers

The PA CareKit can help caregivers with training, connections to respite services, and personalized tools to help caregivers like spouses, adult children, and grandparents raising grandchildren address their unique situations.

Printed materials from the PA CareKit are available for free at community libraries, the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, and Senior Community Centers across the Commonwealth – and an electronic version is available on the Department’s website.