Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) Secretary Jason Kavulich in September traveled to three area agencies on aging (AAAs) to highlight the new tool introduced by the Shapiro Administration to evaluate the performance of older adult protective services in every county, provide actionable feedback to AAAs and keep older adults safe.

The new tool, the Comprehensive Aging Performance Evaluation (CAPE), replaced a prior, ineffective, pass/fail system and did not provide AAAs with the feedback necessary to improve practices and better protect older adults.

Gov. Josh Shapiro secured a $1 million increase in the 2026-27 state budget to support the department’s implementation of CAPE and improve AAA oversight and accountability.

On Wednesday, Sept. 2, Secretary Kavulich visited the Adams County AAA in Gettysburg, where he noted the Shapiro Administration’s efforts with CAPE has made the work of serving and protecting older adults more transparent and accountable than at any other time in the Commonwealth’s history. As the Department continues to assess more AAAs using the CAPE system, the monitoring results routinely are posted at pa.gov/CAPE.

“CAPE is a tool that I wish was available 13 years ago when I started with the agency as a care manager. At that time, there was little information on correct ways to document our Home and Community programs and our Protective Services program,” said Lynn Deardorff, Executive Director, Adams County Office for Aging, Inc. “That is no longer the case. The CAPE performance measures are clear and concise as to what is expected from our agency to serve our older adults better. Since our monitoring, our staff understands what is expected from them and which areas we need to improve.”

Approximately one week later, Kavulich on Thursday, Sept. 10 was in Sunbury, Northumberland County, where aging services leaders praised the new CAPE system.

“CAPE monitoring has been an invaluable process for our team,” said Olivia Sims, agency administrator at the Northumberland County Area Agency on Aging and Veterans Affairs. “It provides us with an opportunity to take a closer look at the work we do, identify areas of strength, and recognize opportunities for continued improvement.”

Kavulich on Wednesday, Sept. 30 visited the Butler County AAA, where he underscored the drastic changes the Shapiro administration implemented to better protect older adults while improving the transparency, accountability and system performance of Pennsylvania’s local aging network.

“Participating in the state’s CAPE evaluation has strengthened our agency’s work in meaningful ways,” said Butler County AAA Executive Director Beth Herold. “As a director for 15 years and a nurse, I value any tool that helps us improve the care and support we provide. CAPE gave us constructive feedback, highlighted our strengths, and guided us in refining practices that directly benefit the individuals we serve.”

More information about the history and implementation of the new CAPE system is available at pa.gov/CAPE.

York County volunteer Pat Egger recently received the 2026 State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) volunteer award in recognition of the time and service she’s provided as a Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight (PA MEDI) volunteer. Pat previously served as the director of social services for the York County Area Agency on Aging. Since retiring, she has contributed more than 7,650 hours of volunteer work by assisting hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries, delivering Medicare presentations and training new volunteers.

Attendees of the Butler Area Agency on Aging Resource Center open house visit the new facility off North Duffy Road on Thursday, Aug. 27.  Photo Credit: Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Butler County Area Agency on Aging recently cut the ribbon on its new Butler County Aging Resource Center, designed as a central hub for services for older residents.

More than $5 million was spent converting the former Butler Health and Fitness building into a facility for a senior community center, Area Agency on Aging office, Protective Services office and Veterans Resource Center – and two pickleball courts.

Congratulations to Butler County AAA executive director Beth Herold, her team, county leaders and partners for envisioning and creating this true community asset that will help transform the aging services infrastructure in Butler County.

Medicare’s annual open enrollment begins Thursday, Oct. 15, and recipients who want to consider their alternatives can receive free, unbiased help understanding their options by talking with specially trained Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight(PA MEDI) counselors.

The PA MEDI program is operated out of Pennsylvania’s 52 local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). PA MEDI counselors can help older adults make informed health insurance decisions that best fit their needs and budgets.

PA MEDI Counselors do not sell insurance products, nor do they endorse or recommend any insurance company, product or agent. PA MEDI counselors can help determine if an older adult may be eligible for any of Pennsylvania’s Medicare cost-savings programs, including Pennsylvania’s PACE/PACENET prescription benefit programs, Extra Help and Medicare savings programs.

Pennsylvanians can call their local AAA or locate a PA MEDI event in their area by visiting the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s website. More information is available by calling the toll-free PA MEDI helpline at 1-800-783-7067 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

Medicare Open Enrollment lasts until Monday, Dec. 7.

Weisenberg Township and Lehigh County on Tuesday, Sept. 8, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new Senior Center at Weisenberg Township Community Center. The center is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with lunch served at 11:45 a.m. No membership fees are required.

The Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman supports and empowers residents living in long-term care facilities.

The office in 2025 answered almost 13,000 questions about long-term care. More than 140 ombudsman staff and more than 200 volunteers dedicated their time to preserve and protect the rights of long-term care residents. Volunteers logged more than 18,000 hours of service.

Residents enjoy numerous rights, including to:

The deadline for Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program has been extended to Dec. 31, giving eligible Pennsylvanians additional time to apply for rebates on property taxes or rent paid in 2025. 

The extension ensures eligible Pennsylvanians — including older adults, widows and widowers, and individuals with disabilities — have more time to apply for a rebate at a time when rising costs are impacting people across the Commonwealth.

Eligible Pennsylvanians can receive a rebate of up to $1,000.

The rebate amount was increased as part of an expansion of the program that took place under Gov. Josh Shapiro’s leadership.

It's free to apply for a rebate and assistance is available at hundreds of locations across the state: Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, and state legislators' offices. Applicants must reapply for a rebate every year as they are based on annual income and property taxes or rent paid during the prior year.

More information about the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, including how to apply, is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue website.

Pennsylvania’s General Election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 3, when Commonwealth voters will cast their ballots to decide federal, state and local elections.

Some important facts and deadlines to remember:

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning people to be alert for phone scams involving callers who pretend to be banks or loan processing centers, and another one where callers claim recipients owe money in back taxes or are carrying an unpaid balance. The calls often come from people posing as representatives from legitimate banks or government agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). They often claim additional personal information is required to finalize a loan application, verify an account or determine program eligibility. 

BBB reports consumers have received multiple calls on a single day from various phone numbers with nearly identical messages. To appear legitimate and convincing, the scammers often provide an agent ID number, application number or callback phone number.

The scammers often try to impose a sense of urgency, hoping people will feel pressured to respond without questioning or verifying the source of the call.

The callers are trying to obtain personal information – including Social Security numbers, banking details other account data – they can use to commit identity theft or make fraudulent transactions.

BBB offers several tips to avoid becoming the victim of a phone scam:

More information about preventing and reporting identity theft is available on the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General website.

Whether it’s volunteers giving of their time and talent, a PEER graduation, or a fun exercise program, PDA wants to see your ‘good feels’ moments. Send photos and some details to agingcomms@pa.gov, and you could see your moment in a future edition of Inside Aging and on PDA’s Facebook page.

Volunteers with the AAA network delivered 8.3 million meals to the homes of older Pennsylvanians in 2025. Jean Spotts has been one of those volunteers in Montgomery County for 55 years. 

Jean is actively involved in her community, inspiring others to volunteer with Meals on Wheels, participating in the Pottstown Rotary Club as its first female member, and sitting on the AARP Membership Board. 

Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich recently was pleased to meet and work alongside Jean at the new Family Services of Montgomery County facility and to see the amazing work being done there.

Butler County’s brand-new Senior Resource Center hasn’t wasted any time getting festive. On Thursday, Sept. 10, it hosted a senior luau for older residents featuring food, games and entertainment.

Participants enjoyed pulled pork, Hawaiian meatballs, nachos and cheese, veggies and dip, and a mixed tropical fruit cup, along with some cool, icy, tropical drinks from the Kona Ice truck. The luau featured games of Bingo; music from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s; and a special appearance by “Elvis” and some volunteer hula girls.

Aging Services Inc., the Area Agency on Aging serving residents in Indiana County, on Wednesday, Sept. 16, hosted its Senior Day in the Park event, which was the culmination of a two-month food drive that took place in July and August. The agency and community partners worked together to provide food bags with fresh produce to local area senior citizens. The event also featured local service providers, who set up tables and provided information about programs and services available to older residents in Indiana County.

Pennsylvania Department of Aging has partnered with Penn State to offer “Living with Dementia – Education. Support. A Stronger Tomorrow,” a free, interactive virtual and in-person learning opportunity beginning Oct. 6, with other opportunities to join throughout the month.

The series connects caregivers with multidisciplinary specialists to share best practices for dementia care.

The sessions are FREE. Each session is different; however, participants do not need to attend each one. The structure of the sessions will feature brief expert talks followed by real-world, peer-led case discussions.