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Efforts to plan for the issues that will arise from the aging population, and to efficiently provide this population with services, have frequently been stymied by the lack of coordination between sectors and across geographical areas.  Agencies must be able to coordinate at a regional level, organizing services by need when it makes sense to, rather than exclusively by geographical region, if service delivery to a growing population of older adults is to be as effective and efficient as possible.   

Planners, elder service providers, and other municipal and non-profit organizations must also work more explicitly and intentionally together to ensure that all of the intertwined elements involved in accommodating an aging population are adequately addressed.  This level of cross-disciplinary thinking requires the formation of new relationships and opening new dialogues across groups that have not traditionally worked together.

This coordination and collaboration is already starting to happen, for example when a variety of Boston-area advocates and service providers came together to form the Boston Partnership for Older Adults, an organization that conducted interdisciplinary research and advocacy for older residents of the city for 5 years before folding due to a lack of funding.  Beacon Hill Village, a nonprofit organization serving Beacon Hill’s elderly residents, is an example of an organization that is transcending the barriers between different service providers to offer its population a one-stop shop for the different home care, health, and other services they may need.  This organization charges an annual fee –with assistance available for those who cannot afford it – and in exchange provides many of the services provided by a retirement community to residents who are still living in their homes.  These organizations are harbingers of things to come, as the increasing size of the region’s over-55 cohort will necessitate much greater efficiency and coordination.

29)    Collect data to ensure that older adults are being well served by state and local service providers
Providing services to older adults can pose a number of problems, not least that many older people lack the access to information to easily find out what services are available to them.  As well as allowing many individuals in need of support to fall through the cracks, the lack of centralized data also increases the likelihood of duplication of services.  More robust tracking of which of the region’s residents are receiving – or in need of – which services will both increase the quality of service the Commonwealth and municipalities provide and increase the comprehensiveness of coverage of these services. 

29.a    Executive Office of Elder Affairs should establish a database to coordinate services and interventions

30)    Coordinate transportation planning and service provision to the Commonwealth’s elderly population.    
All too often, state, regional, and local governments, as well as nonprofit service providers, provide care and services to elders that duplicate or overlap with the work of other organizations.  This lack of coordination is particularly visible in areas of transportation, where different agencies and organizations each have their own vehicles and systems for transporting older adults (and other populations in need of special transportation assistance).  This leads to inefficiencies that drive up the costs of elder services and reduce their effectiveness. 

30.a    The Executive Office of Elder Affairs should convene a regional effort to coordinate transportation services for older adults

30.b    The Boston Metropolitan Planning organization should study coordination of state and local human service transportation

31)    Provide housing options attractive to older adults
Mixed use zoning and zoning that encourages the production of a variety of housing types are crucial elements to ensure Metro Boston’s elders have housing options in their communities that meet their changing needs, allow independence, and encourage integration and participation within the community.  Building housing strategically in urban areas or village and town centers allows older adults to walk to shopping, medical, and recreational facilities.  Creating an environment that accommodates older adults includes encouraging walkable sidewalks and accessible building and park design, larger, more visible signage, and improved lighting.

31.a    MAPC should research best practices for locating age-restricted housing in town and village centers

31.b    The Executive Office of Elder Affairs should work with local Councils on Aging to elevate awareness and make older adults aware of the property tax relief programs that are available to them