The future of aging is not set. It will be shaped by the policy ideas we develop, the priorities we elevate, and the choices policymakers make in the years ahead. At a time when aging programs face real threats, it is more important than ever to define what progress should look like—and to be ready when opportunities for change emerge.
This work begins in a moment of real pressure. Aging programs and policies are currently under attack in Washington, DC. Much of our attention is necessarily focused on defending Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and other essential supports.
But simply holding the line is not enough. Moments like this demand that we do more—they call on us to define what comes next: a clear, values-driven vision for the future of aging that we, as a community, shape, not others.
At Justice in Aging, we believe the future of aging in America is still being written—and that it can be far better than the status quo. We envision a future where people are not pushed into poverty or institutional care simply because they grow older; where families can care for loved ones without sacrificing their own economic security; and where everyone—no matter their race, income, geography, disability, or immigration status—is able to age with dignity in the communities they call home.
To get from our current reality to that future, we need transformative policy change. And that starts with developing an affirmative policy agenda—one that future administrations and Congresses cannot ignore. That agenda will need to focus on rebuilding what has been broken and reimagining systems that were never designed to work for everyone in the first place.
That is why we are excited to launch the Future of Aging Policy Project, a new project Justice in Aging is undertaking in partnership with Day One Strategies. This project is about reclaiming the initiative and setting out a clear, proactive agenda for policymakers to strengthen older adults’ access to economic security, long-term care, caregiving, and social supports like housing, health care, civil rights, and more. That agenda will be grounded in the lived experience of older adults and informed by advocates and policy experts across the aging and disability communities.
This is a difficult moment, but it is also a call to action. We do not have to accept a future defined by the scarcity, fear, or retrenchment that dominate the policy debates of today. By working together now—by organizing, convening, and reimagining—we can lay the groundwork for policies that truly improve people’s lives. We are excited to begin this work and to share more as the Future of Aging Policy Project takes shape in the months ahead.
