Research

Executive Order 2024-02 (issued on August 13th 2024)

The goal is to establish a multi-sector plan for aging.

It establishes:

  • An Interagency Task Force on the Multi-Sector Plan for Aging

  • A Community Advisory Council for the Multi-Sector Plan

  • A Chief Planning Officer (housed in IDoA) who chairs the Task Force/co-chairs the Advisory Council

The goal: develop a 10-year blueprint (“Multi-Sector Plan for Aging” or MPA) to support healthy aging across Illinois communities, addressing not only health care but housing, transportation, etc.

Timeline: Submit the plan to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2025; an implementation status report by December 31, 2026.

Rationale includes recognition of systemic inequities shaping how individuals reach older adulthood and the quality of life as they age.

The Executive Order has been framed as part of a shift toward multi-sector, cross-agency collaboration to support aging in place, equity, and caregiver supports.

FY 2025‑2028 State Plan on Aging (Illinois Department on Aging)

This is the strategic plan that IDoA prepared to cover FY 2025-2028

Key priorities include:

  • Increasing the visibility of the Aging Network (older adult services infrastructure) so older Illinoisans have better access and awareness

  • Continuous quality assurance, person-centered service delivery, improving effectiveness of services

  • Expanding home and community-based services and supports so older adults can remain in their homes/communities rather than institutional settings

  • The document also provides context: older Americans Act funding, home & community based waiver supports, and the role of the 13 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) in Illinois

The “Illinois Aging Network” & demographic context

The “Illinois Aging Network” refers to the mix of local, state, and federal systems providing older adult services in Illinois, including through IDoA.

Demographic findings (from earlier than the 2025 plan) show:

  • In 2018, there were ~2.8 million adults age 60+ in Illinois representing ~22% of the population.

  • Projected that by 2030, older adults (60+) will make up about 25% of Illinois’s population.

  • Among older adults in Illinois (60+), in 2018: ~9.9% had incomes below 100% of the federal poverty level, and ~39.4% lived alone.

The network’s services span nutrition (home-delivered meals, congregate meals), in-home services, legal assistance, adult protective services, etc

Aging and Neurocognition Lab (AANCL)

AANCL aims “to understand how age and age-related conditions (e.g., mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease dementia, age‐associated hearing loss) impact higher-order cognitive functions (e.g., semantic processing; executive function)

AANCL works on developing cognitive and social engagement approaches to enhance and maintain brain health in older adults

Studies show that hearing loss and social isolation accelerate cognitive decline, while social engagement programs (like virtual group activities) can maintain or even improve brain function in older adults.

Relevance: Age-Friendly communities can integrate hearing-friendly design and promote social connectedness (e.g., group classes, volunteer programs, tech-based social connection).

Human Factors & Aging Laboratory

Research focuses on how older adults interact with technology—including telehealth, smart home devices, and service robots.

Findings show that well-designed technology can extend independence, but usability and training are key

Relevance: Supports digital literacy workshops, telehealth accessibility, and assistive-tech partnerships for Age-Friendly planning.