Purposeful Aging LA

The Purposeful Aging Los Angeles (PALA) initiative is a multi-sector partnership created to help the L.A. region prepare for a dramatic demographic shift in the older adult population in the coming years.

How can we make L.A. livable and age-friendly for multiple generations of Angelenos?

By 2030, the number of adults over age 65 in Los Angeles County is expected to double, reaching nearly 2.1 million. To be able to meet the needs of the region’s rapidly aging population, the City and County of Los Angeles joined forces to launch Purposeful Aging Los Angeles. The initiative is structured around the World Health Organization’s Age Friendly Cities Network.

The Purposeful Aging LA initiative aims to determine the needs of older adults in LA and help identify and resolve gaps in resources.

The Mayor’s Fund worked with funders to support a community needs assessment and the creation of an Aging Data Dashboard centralizing all resources and information for older adults in the LA region. The Dashboard also provides data that integrates social determinants of health/social needs and health data about older adults to inform policies, programs and practices aimed at addressing health disparities in this population.

Purposeful Aging LA initiative unites public, private, and nonprofit partners to meet the civic needs of an aging populace. Key partners include the Milken Institute, AARP California, County of L.A. Community and Senior Services, the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, and the UCLA Los Angeles Community Academic Partnership for Research in Aging.

With support from MFLA, the City’s Purposeful Aging Task Force coordinates city departments to consider issues like impaired physical mobility, diminished sensory awareness, and economic limitations.

Key Impact

Created an Aging Data Dashboard

Issue Area

Community Building

Partners

Department of Aging, City of Los Angeles
The California Wellness Foundation
Cedars Sinai
The Eisner Foundation
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California

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