Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey on Thursday visited Plymouth to announce new initiatives designed to enhance state services for older adults.
“We want to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone in this state,” said Healey, who made the announcement before about 100 people at the Plymouth Center for Active Living.
She was joined by several elected officials, including Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, State Senator Dylan Fernandes, State Reprresentative Michelle Badger and town Select Board members Richard Quintal and Charlie Bletzer.
Town Manager Derek Brindisi, who introduced the governor, said the town is “laser-focused” on its aging population — which makes up a significant portion of its residents — by providing critical services and policies that support those services.
Nearly half of the town’s population is age 50 or older, Brindisi said, while the statewide average is 38 percent. With inflation, rising real estate taxes, more of them are struggling to maintain their standard of living on fixed incomes and modest – if any – retirement savings.
Governor Maura Healey displays her executive order directing state agencies to identify where age-friendly policies can be “embedded” in their work. (Photo by Jim Curran)
Healey said she was signing an executive order directing all executive branch state agencies to identify where age-friendly policies and practices can be “embedded” in their work.
The order will also create a governor’s advisory group to work on age-friendly policies and practices, and a new plan called “Reimagining Aging” to bring such ideas to life.
The Executive Office of Elder Affairs, she said, will be renamed the Executive Office of Aging and Independence.
Recent census data, Healey said, show that Massachusetts is the top destination of all states for people who move for retirement, surpassing Florida, she said.
“At the end of the day, for what you can get in our state… and the way that we try to work hard at the state and local level to respect the dignity and work of every person, especially as they age when they only get wiser and get better and more valuable, it’s not surprising that Massachusetts is the number one state for that,” Healey said.