Executive Order  No. 642: Instituting Age-Friendly Practices

WHEREAS, Massachusetts is committed to making its communities more welcoming and livable for older residents and people of all ages;  

WHEREAS, the population of Massachusetts is ever more diverse, inclusive of the over 1.7 million residents aged 60 and older, and many cities and towns have 25% or more of their population over the age of 60; 

WHEREAS, Massachusetts is a nationally recognized leader in age-friendly policy and practices and was one of the first states in the nation to achieve AARP's prestigious age-friendly designation; 

WHEREAS, Massachusetts employers are at the forefront of innovating and pursuing age-friendly workplaces; 

WHEREAS, people are living longer and have greater opportunities to live high-quality, dynamic, and fulfilling lives, and deserve the dignity of independence and support for economic and health security; 

WHEREAS, the Healey-Driscoll Administration recognizes older adults are valuable contributors to the fabric of Massachusetts society and the Administration seeks to facilitate opportunities for our older adults to contribute their knowledge, skills, wisdom, and diverse life experiences to our Commonwealth; 

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth is dedicated to ensuring that all people have equitable access to the Commonwealth’s programs, services, and opportunities, including those that support independence in aging; 

WHEREAS, when policies, programs, and practices are intentionally developed to create better outcomes for older adults, those policies, programs, and practices benefit people of every age; 

WHEREAS, the Administration recognizes the meaningful and beneficial role the over one-million self-identified family caregivers have in our Commonwealth; 

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth, with the support of stakeholders and interested parties, will update and build upon ReiMAging Aging 2030: the Massachusetts Plan; 

WHEREAS, planning with an age-friendly and dementia-friendly lens across executive department agencies, cities and towns, and public-private partnerships must be thoughtful, ongoing, and supported by data-driven analysis, stakeholder insight, and collaborative policy-making; 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Maura T. Healey, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution, Part 2, c. 2, § I, Art. I, do hereby order as follows: 

Section 1. Purpose 

 The purpose of this Order is to further embed age-friendly policies and practices into the work of Executive Offices. This work is foundational to creating an age-friendly state, which will make our communities more welcoming and livable for older residents and people of all ages.  Involvement of and advice from diverse stakeholders, cities and towns, and other community partners is critical to our success and will be sought throughout this process.  

For purposes of this Executive Order, the term “Executive Offices” includes any executive office of the Commonwealth, as defined by section 2 of chapter 6A of the General Laws.

Section 2. Identifying Age-Friendly Policies and Practices across the Executive Branch

To ensure existing efforts continue and to prepare Executive Offices to meet the needs related to older adults, all Executive Offices are directed to identify how age-friendly practices might relate to and improve the impact their work has on older adults and those aging in Massachusetts. In doing this work, Executive Offices shall consider ReiMAging Aging 2030: the Massachusetts Plan coordinated by the Executive Office of Aging & Independence, which incorporates views and guidance from stakeholder communities. Such goals and outcomes include the following:  

1. Economic Opportunity & Security. Every older and aging individual across Massachusetts has the means and opportunity to meet their basic financial needs, including pursuit of encore careers and stability in housing and personal finances. 
2. People and Communities. Older adults and their families are empowered decision makers with meaningful connections to their communities, cultures, and social opportunities, and through support from cities and towns as well as local community groups. 
3. Places and Spaces. Natural, built, and digital environments all account for and enhance older adults’ mobility and livability. This includes digital equity, which is essential for meaningful participation in community and engagement in daily life.  
4. Health and Wellness. Older adults have optimal health for a high quality of life and are connected to supports that improve access to the health care ecosystem, community-based programs, and services that enable everyone to live long and healthy lives.  
5. Aging in All Policies. All local, regional, and statewide policies consider the implications for older adults, including promoting community activation grants, executive agency programs, and other practical approaches with demonstrable effects.
6. Information, Communication, and Framing. Information is broadly accessible, reframes the language around aging to value older adults, and ensures that messages can reach all populations to promote meaningful participation in the community. 

Section 3. Expanding Age-Friendly Policies and Practices across the Executive Branch  

All Executive Offices must consider and plan for the needs of older adults and aging in the work they do, programs they administer, and policies they make. To carry out the charge of this Order, each Executive Office must assign a single point of contact they designate as the Positive Aging Point Person. The Positive Aging Point Person in each Executive Office will: 

1. Coordinate a policy review in the Executive Office and each agency, bureau, department, or political subdivision within or reporting to such Executive Office, to identify ways the goals of age-friendly policy and practice, including those described in this Order, can inform agencies’ programs and resources to best meet the needs of older adults. This will include reviewing and updating the language, concepts, and images used to describe or address older adults to be inclusive and person-centered;
2. Identify best practices or other innovation among the Executive Office and each agency, bureau, department, or political subdivision within or reporting to such Executive Office, that may be extended to and used by other agencies and cities and towns, and across programs and practices to benefit older adults and promote age-friendly policy goals. 
3. Within six months of this Order, each Executive Office will report back to the Cabinet on the items set for in Section 3.A and B of this Order.  

Thereafter, each Executive Office will continue its focus on age-friendly policy making and bring additional issues and actionable policies to the Governor and Cabinet. 

Executive Offices are encouraged to: 

• Assess the degree to which information, programs, services, and supports are accessible to and workable for older people and their caregivers; 
• Determine whether and how current practices benefit older adults, including those in historically underrepresented communities, and how current practices may be enhanced to support aging with independence;  
• Identify additional strategies to encourage the adoption of age- and dementia-friendly policies and practices across municipalities; and
• Incorporate stakeholder feedback to better implement age-friendly programs and practices and improve policies and practices for everyone aging in the Commonwealth. 

Section 4. The Governor’s Advisory Group on Age-Friendly Policies and Practices  

The Governor will convene an Age-Friendly Policies and Practices Advisory Group (the “Advisory Group”) to advise the Governor on age-friendly policies and practices. The goal of the Advisory Group will be to gather stakeholder and expert input on the needs and interests of older and aging individuals in Massachusetts and opportunities to better address those needs and interests.   

There will be at least 20 members of the Advisory Group who will be appointed by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Aging & Independence, and the Secretaries of other Executive Offices as the Governor determines. In selecting membership of the Advisory Group, the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Secretaries will seek a broad array of stakeholders and interested parties with geographic, ethnic, age, and other diversity, including representation from cities and towns, Aging Service Access Points (ASAPs), the Massachusetts Councils on Aging and municipal Councils on Aging, AARP Massachusetts and other advocacy groups, labor unions, industry associations and individual service providers, digital equity leaders and associations such as the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, health industry leaders, the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative, age-friendly employers, and experts in relevant areas such as transportation, housing, regional planning, economic security, retirement, and other issues affecting older adults and aging populations. The Advisory Group shall meet from time to time at the discretion of the Governor. 

Section 5. Additional Provisions 

This Executive Order shall take effect immediately and shall continue in effect until amended, superseded, or revoked by subsequent Executive Order.