County wraps up Local Aging & Disability Action Plan, hands stewardship to advisory council

San Luis Obispo County staff presented the completed San Luis Obispo Master Plan on Aging (SLO MPA) on April 8 and announced a transition of stewardship to the county's Adult Services Policy Council (ASPC) for implementation and ongoing coordination with nonprofit and health partners.

Robert Diaz, program manager for Adult Services, described the LADAP grant the county won to support community-led development of a county master plan aligned with the state's Master Plan on Aging. The county received roughly $199,826 for planning, and staff contracted with consultants to conduct outreach, produce survey instruments in English and Spanish and hold more than a dozen town halls and meetings with advisory committee members and providers. Diaz said the project engaged roughly 40 individuals and more than 20 agencies and intentionally sought input across the county, including library-hosted town halls and rural outreach.

The SLO MPA focuses on four pillars tailored to local needs: housing; health care access; caregiving; and emotional well-being and social connectivity. Staff highlighted community priorities raised during outreach: better cross-agency communication, more doctors with geriatric expertise, improved transportation and digital-access barriers, and support for caregivers. The plan includes actionable strategies such as supporting development of adult day programs, targeted philanthropic outreach for aging services and a local task force to address behavioral-health needs among older adults.

Presenters and nonprofit partners emphasized the immediate value of existing senior services: speakers commended Meals That Connect, the Food Bank, adult day programs and other partners that provide nutrition, connection and fall-prevention activities. Several nonprofit leaders said small investments can preserve services that prevent larger and more costly outcomes such as falls or homelessness among older adults.

County staff said the ASPC will take over stewardship of the master plan to ensure continued multi-agency leadership; staff stressed the intent to maintain momentum and to develop measurable indicators of progress. Board members and presenters urged regular follow-up reporting and asked staff to propose metrics and an annual implementation update so that the county can track development of adult-day programs, transportation access and other outcomes.

Public commenters representing Meals That Connect, the Food Bank, and other community organizations expressed support and urged the board to sustain implementation funding. Board members applauded the community-led process and asked staff to return with steps for early implementation, suggested performance indicators, and proposals for funding or partnership options to move priority actions forward.