Oldest State in the Nation - Maine - Launches Cabinet on Aging; Connecticut is Nation's 6th Oldest State

Connecticut has the sixth oldest population in the nation, according to recent data analysis.  At, 41.5, the state’s median age is exceeded only by three other New England states - Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, - along with West Virginia and Florida.

The Governor of the nation’s oldest state by median age is moving forward with plans to create a Cabinet-level group to address the needs of Maine’s aging population.  Gov. Janet Mills signed an Executive Order this month to create a Cabinet on Aging to bring together the heads of several state agencies so they can coordinate and speed up efforts to help residents age safely and affordably in settings that best serve their needs, the Portland Sun Journal reported.

Mills’ office noted that in addition to the state’s current population of older Americans (median age in Maine is 44.9 years), tens of thousands of people are expected to retire in the coming years, increasing demand for age-related services.

“Maine people work hard their entire lives and they deserve to age comfortably in the communities they love,” Mills said in a written statement. The Executive Order noted that the “demographic shift occurring in our State creates a need for greater policy coordination within State government and collaboration with local communities and the private sector.”

The Cabinet on Aging is to include the commissioners from seven state departments and the director of the Maine State Housing Authority. The state departments are health and human services, labor, economic and community development, administrative and financial services, professional and financial regulation, public safety and transportation. 

The cabinet is expected to meet at least four times a year, beginning next month, to coordinate and advance work on affordable housing and long-term services and supports; financial security and protection against fraud; access to information, broadband, and services; and engagement and employment in Maine’s growing economy.

In Connecticut, the State Unit on Aging, part of the State Department of Aging and Disability Services, “ensures that Connecticut’s elders have access to the supportive services necessary to live with dignity, security, and independence.  The unit is responsible for planning, developing, and administering a comprehensive and integrated service delivery system for older persons in Connecticut,” according to Connecticut’s official state website.

When the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services approved Connecticut’s 2020-2023 State Plan on Aging, it noted that the plan “outlines a number of significant activities that will serve as a guide for Connecticut’s aging service network during the next three years. Of particular note is your commitment to the implementation of the visionary five pillar priorities including: expanding employment opportunities, supporting families and caregivers, expanding the aging & disability network, protecting rights and preventing abuse, and connecting people to resources.”

The Connecticut plan runs through September 30, 2023. A new multi-year plan will be developed next year, to be submitted to the federal agency for approval. Thee 2020 three-year plan reported that “9.1% of the Connecticut population is 65 to 74 years old, 4.8% is 75 to 84 years old and 2. 5% is 85 years old or older,” according to U.S. Census data.

In 2018, a previous state three-year plan pointed out that “between 2010 and 2040, Connecticut’s age 65 years and over population is on pace to increase by 57%. However, its population between the ages of 20-64 is projected to grow less than 2% and the population age 18 and under is projected to decline by 7%.” A person born that year in Connecticut could expect to live an average of 80.8 years, the report noted.