The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative launched ‘Equity in Aging‘ in a kickoff webinar that featured resources and along with age- and dementia friendly community-based work addressing disparities for diverse older adults.

In the kickoff webinar, MHAC provided an overview of current work followed by presentations from AARP-Massachusetts, Public Health Institute of Western Mass./LiveWell Springfield, and UMass-Lowell.

Equity in Aging itself will consist of a committee and an ongoing webinar series. Both are intended to highlight issues, ideas and solutions around creating inclusive age-and dementia friendly communities, policies and programs. AARP Massachusetts and PHI of Western Mass. are co-leading the initiative with MHAC.

The group will align with the cross-sector MHAC Advisory Council, which includes nearly 200 members from across the state that represent various focus areas within the age-and dementia friendly community framework.

The Equity in Aging committee will welcome those with experience in addressing access, equity and inclusion issues for older adults and those interested can sign up here. Those interested, but not currently working on equity issues for older adults can still sign up as a non-participating attendee. MHAC will work to have the group reflect the populations referenced in the “inclusive communities crosswalk” in the Healthy Aging for All Guide, which is available here.

Please check out the kickoff webinar below and stay tuned for future presentations!