Baltimore County, Maryland Print

Joined the AARP Age-Friendly Network:
3/5/2019

Lead Agency: Baltimore County Department of Aging

Government Agency

Action Plan Download

An action plan is based on the results of community surveys identifying needs within the 8 Domains of Livability that influence the health and quality of life of older adults. While there is flexibility in how a plan is created and what it will do, every action plan includes a statement about what can be achieved, target dates for goal completion, identification of participating organizations and indicators to measure progress. The action plan is an "active" rather than static document. Revisions and amendments are a sign of program improvement and progress.

Action Plan Highlights

  1. Health and Community Services

    Improve health access for older adults by encouraging inclusion and equity principles among county health care providers, increasing service coordination across health setting continuum, improving, utilization and access to care through telehealth, and identifying gaps in service that diminish access to mental, trauma-related and behavioral health services.

  2. Housing

    Create opportunities to improve the county's housing stock and build any new housing so that it is accessible for people with disabilities

  3. Transportation

    Expand existing paratransit offerings to meet demand and identify alternative options for riders with disabilities, while also creating materials and a public education campaign to encourage residents to ride public transit more broadly.

Progress Report

Baltimore County's progress report focuses on successes related to multimodal transportation and affordable, age-friendly housing. The County established an advisory community, which oversees bike- and pedestrian-safety improvements to roadways. Additionally, users of the local paratransit service can now ride fare-free, and the service's fleet includes four new vehicles. Additional transit options include a new volunteer driver program, new shuttle serving senior living facilities and a circulator route in Towson. To ensure residents can safely age in place, the County launched home repair and modification assistance and ensured new housing developments conform with federal accessibility standards. Baltimore County also revised zoning regulations to support multigenerational communities, which allow college students to live alongside retired individuals.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Art with a Heart Inc. (2022)

Baltimore, MD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: Patients and visitors at a new outpatient tower lacked a welcoming space. Art with a Heart installed a 245-square-foot mosaic mural in the main entrance, created through eight workshops with volunteers, many age 50-plus. The mural's stained glass and ceramic pieces reflect community identity and offer comfort. "I am very grateful for the opportunity and the fact that we can always visit the site and re-connect with the whole experience," said one volunteer, underscoring the lasting impact of this collaborative effort.

Art with a Heart Inc. (2025)

Baltimore, MD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: This project will create a large-scale mosaic mural. The project will involve community members in workshops, fostering artistic engagement and beautification in Baltimore's Park Heights neighborhood.

ABOUT THE AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE

Launched in 2017, the annual AARP Community Challenge provides small grants to local governments and nonprofits in order to fund quick-action, ready-to-implement projects that can help communities become more livable for people of all ages.

See all nearby projects

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AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

AARP Maryland State Office

200 St. Paul Place
Suite 2510
Baltimore, MD 21202
United States

Phone: 866-542-8163
Fax: 410-895-0269
Email: [email protected]