Opportunities and Challenges to Support Pa.’s Aging Population

October 17, 2024

A strong health care system is vital for an aging Pennsylvania.

This morning, hospital leaders, long-term care experts, and state agency officials convened in Harrisburg for City & State’s Aging in Pennsylvania Summit. The event focused on the ways providers across the continuum—and other stakeholders—can support care for Pennsylvania’s older adults.

During a panel discussion, HAP President and CEO Nicole Stallings emphasized the need to support access to care across the continuum and the critical role hospitals play to support older Pennsylvanians.

 Hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other providers are facing similar challenges when it comes to the workforce, financial sustainability, and ensuring timely transfers of care to the right setting.

“Access to care right now in Pennsylvania is constrained,” Stallings said during the event.

Here are five things to know from the event:

• Workforce:  Pennsylvania needs to grow its health care workforce and specifically train the next generation of caregivers for roles caring for older adults. Policy and legislation play an important role to bolster the workforce across the continuum and ensure care is available across the commonwealth.
• The big trend:  By 2030, nearly 1 in 3 Pennsylvanians will be over 60, making Pennsylvania among the oldest populations in the U.S.
• An immediate need:  Our care infrastructure must grow to meet the needs of this growing demographic in Pennsylvania. This work takes on additional urgency as a larger share of the population enters their later years.
• Working together:   Shortages at every level— primary care, hospital care, post-acute, or long-term care—lead to issues discharging patients to the right setting.
• Education is everything:   Education about the resources available across the commonwealth can help coordinate care.

Learn more about the event online.