About the Blueprint for Aging

Mission Statement

The mission of the Blueprint for Aging is to create and maintain positive community change to increase the quality of life and independence for older adults and their allies in Washtenaw County through a community collaborative process.

 Values

  • Together is better than alone; we work through partnerships
  • Accountability, transparency and integrity guide our work
  • Quality, meaningful data drive our decisions
  • The value of an individual does not diminish with age; the strength of a society rests on the well-being of all of its members
  • We create community change through advocacy, social justice, and innovation

Strategic Priorities

  1. Collect, report on and provide access to relevant local and national data about aging-related research, trends, needs and resources to build a full knowledge base which informs key messaging and service development decisions.
  2. Create and disseminate a compelling communication/messaging and education strategy that builds awareness and advocates for aging-related needs among our funders, direct service providers, and all generations in our community.
  3. Be a conduit between national and local key stakeholder groups and individuals.
  4. Convene stakeholders and establish, as appropriate, strategic partnerships to identify, promote and evaluate best practice approaches in addressing senior needs and emerging issues.
  5. Maintain, increase and diversify the funding and resource pool available to meet senior needs.

Washtenaw County Needs the Blueprint for Aging

The number of older adults is projected to triple over the coming years, with a significant increase in the number of adults over age 85.  This will impact every sector of our community.

The Blueprint for Aging is uniquely positioned to provide innovative and meaningful solutions to ready our community for this demographic shift, as evidenced by its strong history of accomplishment:

 Significant national foundation support

 Comprehensive needs assessment and successful strategic plan implementation

 Numerous best practice innovations in service including collaborative case coordination model

 Nationally renowned “Aging with Attitude” Art Show

 First local Senior Data Book

 Effective structure to support a unified voice for older adult issues, information and concerns

 Comprehensive website for county-wide volunteer opportunities

 Aging information, resources, activities and research

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