• Is a public document
• Responds to OAA requirement for development of a State Plan on Aging
• Communicates the direction of home and community based services and other long term care services
• Responds to unique state and local contexts
• Blends state and AoA goals and initiatives
• Informs and educates stakeholders-consumers, legislators, providers, media, and the public
• Guides performance and quality improvement

In accordance with the requirements of the Older Americans Act, each state agency on aging must develop a State Aging Plan. The State Plan is the principal means by which the state identifies the needs, expectations and choices of older people and describes how its systems of access and services will address the challenges posed by the growing and increasingly diverse older population.

Considering the anticipated impact of the baby boomer population on the health and long-term care system, it is imperative to chart a clear direction for the Aging Network that can be easily understood by policy makers and the general public alike. The Aging Network must be proactive in creating balance and modernizing state long term care systems in order to respond to the growing need, current resources and increasing demands by older people and families for alternatives to institutional long term care.

• The placement of the state agency on aging in state government and its roles/ responsibilities/functions/programs.
• The needs and concerns of older people and caregivers in the state.
• The response of the Network's programs and services to those needs.
• The strategic direction and priorities of the Aging Network.

The bottom line is, the State Plan on Aging is exceptionally important to creating an effective, integrated system of aging, disability, and long-term services. The State Plan provides the mechanism for:

• Seizing opportunities
• Grappling with change
• Forecasting future needs
• Developing state-specific responses to emerging opportunities, changes, and needs
• Identifying performance goals
• Measuring and evaluating performance, quality, results, and accomplishments

The Older Americans Act 2006 Amendments were intended to bolster the Aging Network's leadership role in advancing home and community based long-term care for older persons. More specifically, the 2006 Amendments:

    * Provide states with greater flexibility 
    * Increase the options states may use to integrate services
    * Encourage and promote coordination of OAA services with other programs to maximize the resources available to meet        the needs of older persons

AoA recommends a unified, coordinated approach to state planning. A well-thought out State Plan on Aging with coordination can serve as a key "catalyst" for creating a comprehensive system of support to ensure older Americans lives of dignity and independence.