In accordance with the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, and pursuant to § 51.5-136 of the Code of Virginia, the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), as Virginia’s designated State Unit on Aging, is mandated to submit a State Plan for Aging Services to the U.S. Administration on Community Living (ACL), the Governor, and the General Assembly.
Guided by federal requirements and grounded in a comprehensive needs assessment process, DARS developed the DRAFT State Plan for Aging Services in collaboration with older Virginians and caregivers as well as the state's aging network, state agencies, Virginia universities, and stakeholder organizations. DARS also wishes to make the public aware that Virginia intends to revise the Intrastate Funding Formula (IFF), which is a weighted population-based formula used to distribute federal Older Americans Act funding to Virginia’s 25 Area Agencies on Aging. With this notice, DARS is also seeking public comment on the new IFF.
DARS is currently soliciting public comment on the DRAFT State Plan for Aging Services. Public comments on the DRAFT State Plan for Aging Services can be submitted the following ways:
A Virtual Public Hearing will be held on the DRAFT State Plan for Aging Services on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. To participate in the virtual public hearing, please register here: https://vadars.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_75s0HD29SGOjsfzv3RQEvA. DARS is working to arrange ASL interpretation and live captioning for the virtual public hearing.
The deadline to submit public comments on the DRAFT State Plan for Aging Services is May 5, 2023.
The final State Plan for Aging Services must be submitted to ACL by July 1, 2023, and to the Governor and General Assembly by October 1, 2023.
To inform the DRAFT State Plan for Aging Services, DARS completed a comprehensive needs assessment. The needs assessment process produced a series of materials, which can be found on this webpage.
These materials include: 1) a complete statewide report with the results of a September 2022 survey of older Virginians, 2) an executive summary of the September 2022 statewide survey report, 3) reports for each Area Agency on Aging (AAA) with the results of the September 2022 survey for their planning and services areas (PSAs), 4) a 2023 statewide report with the results of listening sessions with stakeholders as well as an analysis of data and trends related to the conditions and characteristics of older Virginians as conducted and produced by the Virginia Center on Aging, and 5) a December 2022 report on the in-home services and home modification needs of older Virginians.
As required in § 51.5-136 of the Code of Virginia, DARS collected state agency reports on the impacts of aging on their services, operations, and workforce. State agency reports can be found via the SharePoint link below.
2022 Blueprint for Demographic Services
With state general funding, the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services contracted with Weldon Cooper Center to study and develop a plan for providing demographic services for Virginia and the 25 Area Agencies on Aging. The report is intended to inform professionals in the field of aging, policymakers, and the public on the needs for demographic services to assist in providing aging services.
Data Briefs on Aging for Virginia
Prepared by Weldon Cooper Center for Virginia and each of its 25 Area Agencies on Aging, the data briefs provide information about the population characteristics of older Virginians. Each brief includes data on age, gender, race/ethnicity, family and living arrangements, disability and health, access to technology and transportation, and more.
Access to the current Virginia State Plan for Aging Services (October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2023) is provided here. The plan was submitted to the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) for approval on June 28, 2019. ACL approved the plan on August 29, 2019. DARS thanks all those who contributed to the development and implementation of the plan.
If you have general questions about the Virginia State Plan for Aging Services please contact:
Charlotte Arbogast
Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services
8004 Franklin Farms Drive
Henrico, VA 23229
E-mail: charlotte.arbogast@dars.virginia.gov
Fax: 804-662-7663