When Governor Wes Moore asked Carmel Roques to serve as Maryland’s Secretary of Aging, she saw an opportunity to advance a new way of thinking about aging, one that would make Maryland longevity ready for everyone. Blazing new trails has been part of Roques 40-year career – as she implemented innovation within and led long term care agencies and senior living campuses in Virgina and Maryland. Now, she is leading the State of Maryland’s aging work, focused on the concept of longevity – emphasizing not only longer lives, but also quality of life at every stage.
As a new Secretary, Roques knew that “the reframing of aging itself was foundational” because if “we don’t have the whole picture (of aging) and we're not telling the whole story, we are limiting ourselves.” She and her team immediately leveraged the resources to reframe aging and began the work to shift attitudes towards aging throughout the state. Deputy Secretary Jenna Crawley said, “Working with the National Center to Reframe Aging gave us the tools and support to develop the perspective and framework of longevity and make it tangible for state and local agencies in an all of government approach.”
Early in the process, the Maryland Department of Aging (MDOA) took a strategic step to bring agencies across state government into the work to reframe aging. Partnering with the National Center to Reframe Aging, they convened communication managers from 23 different state agencies to explore the concepts of reframing aging and why this effort is critical to their agency’s work. While each came from an agency that served older people, the communication professionals had never really thought about how they communicated about aging. During a very interactive workshop led by the National Center to Reframe Aging, the MDOA team saw “light bulbs were going off.”
Equipping the group with an understanding of the principles to reframe aging opened doors for interagency dialogue and expanded the table of professionals invested in changing how society thinks about aging. The National Center to Reframe Aging provided nonconfrontational space to challenge long-held beliefs and biases about aging. Colleagues from across government identified shared challenges and saw older people as “a golden thread” across institutions. Following the experience, they became comfortable reaching out to MDOA staff for advice on what framing strategies to use and which ones to avoid.
Additionally, the National Center to Reframe Aging collaborated with Secretary Roques and her leadership team to introduce key groups across the state to the basics of reframing aging. This included MDOA’s staff, the Baltimore County Department of Aging, Montgomery County’s Grass Roots Organization for the Well-being of Seniors, and the Maryland Philanthropy Network. Additionally, the National Center led three cohorts of leaders in Maryland through its most in-depth course, the Core Elements to Reframe Aging.
All of this essential groundwork, paved the way for the team at MDOA to successfully engage colleagues from across state government to create the Maryland’s first comprehensive, 10-year multisector plan – Longevity Ready Maryland. The National Center to Reframe Aging provided technical assistance to ensure a well-framed plan. Now, Maryland is poised with a vision that sees beyond traditional aging services to better address the multifaceted opportunities of longevity with a whole-of-government approach.
Society is moving into the longevity era, and Maryland is one of the states leading the way forward. With a well-framed multi-sector plan, cadre of educated cross-agency professionals, and a toolbox of resources to reframe aging, Maryland is ready for what’s next!
Join the Movement to Reframe Aging
The National Center to Reframe Aging is developing tools to help advocates across the country effectively communicate for policies and funding that support the well-being of all of us as we age.
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What strategic initiatives, such as an MPA, are underway in your state?
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How can you leverage strategic efforts to reset the tone about aging and older people in your communities?
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How can you partner with the National Center to Reframe Aging to improve understanding about aging in your state?
Reach out to the National Center team to learn how you can inspire change within your state!