The Illinois Department on Aging recently released EngAging Illinois: A Comprehensive Plan for Living Well, a multisector plan addressing the needs of older adults and caregivers. The plan establishes a decade-long blueprint to ensure the growing population of older Illinoisans can live dignified, engaged, productive, and meaningful lives at every stage of life.
The Plan was developed through an extensive collaborative process established by Governor JB Pritzker’s Executive Order 2024-02, involving 15 state agencies, a 25-member Community Advisory Council (including ICRN lead Raj C. Shah, MD), experts in aging and caregiving, and nine public engagement sessions across Illinois that gathered input from hundreds of residents.
With Illinois’ population over 65 projected to grow 40% by 2035 – reaching nearly 2.9 million people or 22% of all Illinoisans – the plan arrives at a critical moment. It outlines strategies across four focus areas:
• Creating Livable and Connected Communities
• Ensuring Health for All Ages
• Investing in Caregivers
• Affording Aging.
Learn more about EngAging Illinois and access the full plan here.
