Lily Wellington, executive director of the State Commission on Aging, and Laurie Duff, state chair, presented the commission's annual report and an executive summary of a community transportation needs assessment on Nov. 21.

Wellington said the commission's work focuses on planning and advising the governor and legislature on aging issues and described priorities grouped under the AgeWell NH plan's three pillars: independence, wellness and care. She highlighted demographic shifts, including that New Hampshire is among 11 states where people 65 and older now outnumber children, and said transportation, housing and changing health needs emerged from a statewide engagement process.

The commission recommended forming an advisory council on systems of care for healthy aging (kickoff set for December), expanding caregiver respite and support, and growing the direct-care workforce through recruitment, training and new program models. The commission also urged use of rural health-transformation funds to assist workforce recruitment and suggested replicable programs such as community nursing and mobile integrated health care.

Members discussed housing, workforce training pipelines and how hospitals and community programs might pilot employee-owned or flexible scheduling approaches that increase retention. Wellington said the commission will publish its full needs-assessment findings in April 2026 and invited committee members to use the commission as a resource for constituent referrals and local initiatives.