ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today launched Longevity Ready Maryland, the state’s first comprehensive, 10-year multisector plan to coordinate services and policies that support Maryland’s growing population of older adults. The landmark initiative comes at a pivotal moment when cuts to essential federal programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP jeopardize the security of older Marylanders.
“While some in Washington threaten to pull the rug out from under our residents, placing greater strain on state resources, Maryland is stepping forward with urgency and a clear plan to put the well-being of older Marylanders front and center,”
said Gov. Moore. “By coordinating action across state agencies, community organizations, and the private sector, Longevity Ready Maryland takes a resilient approach to aging and makes efficient use of every resource as federal support becomes less certain.”
Longevity Ready Maryland is a collaborative, long-term plan that aims to support the work of service providers by consolidating resources; coordinating efforts across government, businesses, and communities; and transforming systems of care to more sustainably accommodate a greater number of older Marylanders. To advance the objectives of the plan, the Maryland Department of Aging will work to encourage collaboration between state agencies, support local initiatives, and improve access to home- and community-based services.
“With Maryland's older population growing faster than the national average, we are meeting this moment with a bold and innovative plan,”
said Maryland Department of Aging Secretary Carmel Roques. “Born from a two-year, ground-up effort, this plan reflects the voices of older adults, caregivers, and community leaders from every corner of our state. Longevity Ready Maryland is our commitment to action—a roadmap to ensure all Marylanders can live healthy, financially secure, socially connected, and purposeful lives.”
Maryland is home to 1.4 million residents over age 60—a number projected to surpass a quarter of the state's population in less than five years. More than 127,000 older Marylanders rely on SNAP benefits to meet basic nutritional needs, with 32% of SNAP recipients made up of families with older adults or people with disabilities. In addition, 109,000 older Marylanders depend on Medicaid for essential health services, as Medicaid is the number one payer of long-term services and supports, including nursing homes. Additionally, approximately 4,000 Marylanders receive Medicaid home- and community-based services.
Deep cuts to essential federal programs, such as the low-income home energy assistance program, and various housing initiatives administered by the Maryland Department of Human Services and Department of Housing and Community Development will have a disproportionally negative impact on older Marylanders, many on fixed incomes. Reductions or eliminations of these social care programs will have a cascading effect, placing increased pressure on older, low-income Marylanders’ ability to remain healthy, safely housed, and living in the community.
While the growing population of older adults is tremendously beneficial to Maryland—fueling local economies, providing support for families, and contributing to the community in multiple ways—rising needs for caregiving, growing rates of dementia, lack of affordable housing, and increasing costs for health care present urgent challenges.
In addition to planning for the future, Longevity Ready Maryland coordinates and builds on actions already underway across the state to expand access to vital support services, including:
- Consolidating and modernizing state-funded programs to improve services and increase the number of Marylanders served using the same funding through the new Supporting Older Adult
- Expanding high-impact, low-cost home modification services for underserved older adults in rural communities.
- Launching a new statewide dementia navigation program that provides funding to the local Area Agencies on Aging for screening, education, and services to support people with dementia, as well as their caregivers and families.
- Modernizing Maryland Access Point, the state's information and referral network, to increase outreach for older people and family caregivers.
- Streamlining access to benefits and services through the Maryland Benefits One Application.
- Expanding access to holistic home- and community-based health services through the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.
To support the plan, track implementation, and encourage stakeholder participation, the state has launched a new website that provides guidance, resources, and the full Longevity Ready Maryland plan.
To learn more, visit
LRM.Maryland.gov.