HARRISBURG, Pa. — It's a significant population that's only growing with time.
"One in three Pennsylvanians will be over the age of 60 very soon," said Jason Kavulich, Pennsylvania's Secretary of Aging. "We're looking at the fifth largest older adult population in the nation right now."
As the population grows, Kavulich admitted there are hurdles to cross in one area.
"Older adults have behavioral health challenges [and] needs [that] our system isn't necessarily designed to meet the way it needs to," he said.
The issue led 200 local Area Agency on Aging service providers and health professionals to attend the 2024 Aging and Behavior Health Conference in Harrisburg to discuss what they're seeing and brainstorm solutions.
"There's a lot of challenges for older adults that are looking for services because of depression, anxiety, loss [or] grief," Kavulich said. "We want to make sure we highlight that for everyone to know and that we work harder to make sure those services are available."
Help could be on the way sooner rather than later; last year's state budget included a $20 million investment in county mental health services, the first since 2008.
Lawmakers are considering another multi-million-dollar investment this year.
"The $20 million in the governor's proposed budget will be an investment in the entire behavioral health system, which will benefit older Pennsylvanians in many ways," Kavulich explained.
The governor's budget proposal also included almost $12 million for the Pennsylvania Department of Aging's Aging Our Way PA plan, one the department says would improve services for older adults.
Lawmakers must have this year's budget finalized in about one month.
