ORCID

  • Megan Stubbs-Richardson: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8636-497X
  • Lauren E. Etheredge: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0161-3639
  • Tockie V. Hemphill: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8481-212X
  • Zaccheus Ahonle: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2898-4200
  • Danielle Nadorff: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7091-0614

MSU Affiliations

Social Science Research Center; College of Education; Department of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology & Foundations; Department of Psychology

Item Type

Report

Abstract

Executive Summary:

Mississippi’s aging population growth mirrors national trends and suggests a need to establish equitable and sustainable age-friendly policies and programs. This report offers an overview of the best practices from age-friendly states, which can be adapted to meet unique challenges and opportunities for Mississippi’s aging population. We highlight five age-friendly policy areas that can improve Mississippi’s livability.

• Aging in Place: Best practices from California, Florida, and Massachusetts can be adapted to promote aging in place through structural changes to homes via universal design and home modifications, or through supportive housing programs and home care.

• Cross-Sector Collaboration: Michigan, Florida, and Washington provide strong examples of how collaboration can successfully occur across public health systems, housing, social services, and transportation. This multi-sector engagement helps to support the equity and sustainability of established programs.

• Supporting Caregivers: Mississippi age-friendly advocates currently aim to provide support for caregivers through the Mississippi Family Caregiver Coalition. New York and North Carolina provide additional solutions for consideration, such as financial and social support for paid and unpaid caregivers.

• Transportation and Social Connections: Investing in increasing equitable access to transportation is a priority for Maine, Michigan, and New Jersey, while community engagement has been an age-friendly focus for Colorado, Massachusetts, and Washington to reduce social isolation and promote the well-being of aging adults.

• Equity: States leading age-friendly equity initiatives, such as those addressing social identity-related disparities or rural or community challenges, include Maine, Minnesota, and California.

The Path Forward for Mississippi: Mississippi age-friendly advocates have begun to lay the foundation for establishing an age-friendly ecosystem through multisector collaboration, including joining the Age-Friendly Public Health Systems (AFPHS) network. Additionally, the AFFIRM (Age-Friendly Focused Information and Resource Maps) project provides our state with resource maps containing access to 2,853 age-friendly resources, such as senior centers, medical services, and other community supports. Next steps for accelerating Mississippi’s age-friendly efforts are highlighted below.

• Joining the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States to receive support for establishing age-friendly initiatives.

• Advancing aging-in-place initiatives through universal design consideration and establishing multisector partnerships with healthcare and home services.

• Expanding support to communities for paid and unpaid caregivers, improving transportation access, and providing more community events for older adults.

• Sustaining resource mapping and gap analysis for Mississippi to ensure services meet the needs of the aging population across counties.

The goal of this report is to learn from the successes of age-friendly states and practices so that approaches can be adapted to Mississippi or other states. With the information detailed in this report, state leaders can create age-friendly policies that allow Mississippians to thrive in their homes and communities while creating a more inclusive and age-friendly Mississippi.

Publication Date

2025

DOI

https://doi.org/10.54718/PTYT9801

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