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Optimize Health, Wellness, and Mobility

Optimize Health, Wellness, and Mobility by investing in programs that support healthier, more purposeful and active lifestyles so Marylanders can enjoy longevity and reduce dependancy.​

Objective​s and Strategies

O​​​​bjective 1: Improve equitable access to holistic health care that addresses physical, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive health. 

  • Implement the AHEAD model to expand Maryland’s focus on primary care, population health, and health equity across age groups.
  • Explore policies that incentivize enhanced care delivery models in the home and community that collaborate with community-based organizations, care navigators, and community health workers, such as the Neighborhood Nursing model.
  • Expand access to, and utilization of, community-based behavioral health services that address long-term care needs.
  • Implement a person-centered, trauma-informed approach across publicly-funded programs to ensure older adults and adults with disabilities can effectively make decisions about their care and wellbeing.
  • Leverage existing state infrastructure to target shortage areas for health providers and direct support professionals to increase access to care among older adults in underserved communities.
  • Increase access to technology that will enhance the ability of all Marylanders to pursue their best life as they define it through the Technology First initiative by increasing access to the internet and providing resources for digital literacy education, accessible telecommunications equipment, telehealth, assistive technology, and durable medical equipment.
  • Explore policy reform opportunities that incentivize small home alternatives to residential nursing institutions.
  • Identify policy opportunities to incentivize equitable delivery of medical innovations that impact healthy aging.

Objecti​​​​ve 2: Increase access to healthy food and physical activity.

  • Promote free and low-cost community wellness and fitness classes through targeted communications, partnerships with local organizations, and the utilization of public spaces.
  • Engage communities in enhancing the safety and accessibility of community spaces through improvements to the built environment.
  • Embrace a food-is-medicine approach by developing policies that support access to healthy food and medically-tailored meals through partnerships and collaboration between health care and community-based organizations.
  • Screen for and cross-promote food assistance programs, including SNAP, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and locally-operated programs.

Objective 3: ​​ Increase investment in services and transportation infrastructure that promote safety, accessibility, and mobility.

  • Reassess the administration of state programs that fund human services transportation to better align resources focused on older adults and adults with disabilities, including Older Ameri​cans Act and Section 5310 grants.
  • Analyze non-emergency human services transportation efforts in other states for consideration in Maryland, particularly those that have coordinated or consolidated funding programs administered by different agencies.
  • Build out a sustained Complete Streets building program model to improve connectivity between land use planning and community transportation, fill in gaps in active transportation networks, and support accessible and walkable communities.
  • Leverage technology (e.g., ride-hailing services, self-driving cars) and community-based services to enhance transportation options and operability for older adults, especially in rural communities. 
  • Expand outreach and assistance to increase access to available transportation options.

Objective 4: Enhance a culture of social connection.

  • Promote policies that enhance social connection across sectors.
  • Promote the adoption of health care screening and referrals to programs that address social isolation and loneliness in partnership with local community hubs that can act as trusted entry points for successful referrals. 
  • Reform state-funded social connection programming to better integrate with local programs and resources, including from Area Agencies on Aging, Villages, libraries, parks and recreation, and other community-based organizations.
  • Educate the public about the prevention of, detection of, and response to negative health effects associated with social isolation.
  • Promote innovative opportunities to connect Marylanders across all ages through technology, programming, and community spaces.
  • Promote the adoption of initiatives that increase intergenerational connection to reduce age-related bias.​​

Measures of I​​​mpact:

  • Increase healthier lifestyles for older adults
  • Improve access to holistic healthcare across populations and geographic regions
  • Increase participation in community-based services that promote healthy living
  • Decrease the negative health effects associated with social isolation​