After three years, nearly 2,000 surveys, several focus groups and countless meetings, the Age- and Dementia Friendly Franklin County & North Quabbin initiative launched its action plan with a room full of supporters, volunteers, partner organizations and older adults.

Led by LifePath and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), the initiative covers 30 municipalities. Incredibly, 27 of those communities have individually joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.

The regional work is a great display of collaboration and what can be possible when smaller communities band together. As an aging service access point, LifePath already hosted a range of programs and services to support older adults. FRCOG, the regional planning agency for Franklin County, has also been a leading partner in using an age- and dementia friendly lens on their work to improve and enhance community design.

The regional action plan is organized around the eight domains of an age-friendly community, but embeds dementia friendly throughout. Check out the full action plan here.