A research paper from UMass-Boston published in The Gerontologist provides analysis on 18 states and one U.S. territory with active or emergent age-friendly initiatives, including age-friendly state initiatives and state-level multi-sector plans on aging (MPAs).

The paper finds that an age-friendly state, with state government  is a linchpin in age-friendly ecosystems because it establishes the policy authority, cross-agency alignment, and financing structures necessary to scale and sustain local age-friendly efforts, translating community-level innovation into durable systems change that shapes how transportation, housing, health, and social services operate across the life course.

The research outlines key contributions to long-term improvements in aging policy and practice that emerged from the environmental scan. The five main themes identified include (1) financing and coverage infrastructure, (2) housing and land use reform, (3) workforce and caregiver supports, (4) governance reforms, and (5) stakeholder engagement.

The age-friendly work in Massachusetts shows up throughout the analysis. The authors noted spcifically that “states such as Massachusetts, which have embedded age-friendly principles into legislation, illustrate how codified accountability can accelerate diffusion and sustain momentum, compared to states that rely primarily on executive orders or voluntary coalitions.”

For more details, check out the full research paper available here.