Generations Today

I was 17 when a dive into the sea in Rimini, Italy, changed the way my body would move for the rest of my life. I am 55 now. That means I have spent far more of my life living with tetraplegia than without it. For professionals in aging services, that timeline matters. When we talk about disability, we often picture a person at the moment a disability begins. When we talk about aging, we often picture someone reaching later life and beginning to need support.

When Illinois released EngAging Illinois in January 2026, it marked more than a policy milestone to address the needs of older adults in the state. It reflected years of organizing and cross-sector relationship building that helped turn an idea into a statewide plan for action—a multisector plan for aging (MPA), as these plans are increasingly called across the country.

Older Americans use counseling at a fraction of the rate of younger adults. In 2024, 7.5% of adults 65 to 74 and 5% of those 75 and older received it, compared with 20.2% of adults in their 20s. Counseling researcher Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, writing in The Conversation, argues that the shortfall is not mainly about cost or transportation.

When Missouri released “Aging with Dignity: Missouri’s Master Plan on Aging” in February 2026, it joined a growing number of states using cross-agency, cross-sector plans to better coordinate policies and services for older adults. The plan grew out of mounting recognition that Missouri’s aging population was growing, yet its infrastructure and services were underequipped to effectively support these residents.

We often talk about older adults as though they are a population apart from the rest of us, even though aging is a journey we all share. Older adults are simply further along that journey, giving us a glimpse into what our own lives may look like as we age. And while aging is universal, the circumstances in which we age aren’t. Some people will grow older with financial security and a strong network of family and friends.

Today, in the United States, more than 2.4 million children live in grandfamilies in the care of grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings or close family friends. In her new book, “Grandfamilies: Stories of Children and the Loving Relatives Who Raise Them,” author Donna Butts, former longtime executive director of Generations United, sheds light on the ongoing fight for the recognition and resources these families deserve.

Ageism & Culture | Innovation & Social Impact | Justice & Equity Editor’s note: ASA President and CEO Leanne Clark-Shirley recently wrote a letter to ASA members and newsletter subscribers. Here is a reprint of that letter. I’ve heard from over a hundred of you in the past month as you’ve answered questions like: what is one thing everyone should know about aging? And, what would progress toward a longevity-ready society look like?

Editor’s note: ASA President and CEO Leanne Clark-Shirley recently wrote a letter to ASA members and newsletter subscribers. Here is a reprint of that letter. I’m spending more time lately talking with people about a longevity-ready society.

Editor’s Note: The John A. Hartford Foundation is collaborating with ASA RISE to advance equity through a series of blog posts in support of the development and dissemination of equity-related, partnership-based thought leadership through ASA’s Generation platform. This blog post is part of that series.

A few months ago, someone in my own family asked, gently, whether I really wanted to go out in the woods behind the house alone, something might happen to me. I said I was careful, that everything on me still works, and asked her directly: Why can’t I take that risk? It’s mine to take.