Communities that intentionally make life easier for aging and disabled people don’t just appear out of thin air. Planning is a crucial first step.

When Anabel Pelham learned about state money to help fund such planning, she was all in.

"The population is aging. Hello? We have got to get real about this," says Anabel, a nationally recognized gerontologist. "We’ve got to get real about tactics and strategies and planning for the aging population because the longer we live, the less we’re able to manage the environment. Are we going to make our environment hostile and dangerous or vibrant and supportive?"

The California Department of Aging’s LADAP program, or Local Aging & Disability Action Planning, provided over $4 million to 20 organizations developing action plans to improve surroundings for older adults and disabled people. Among recipients is Anabel’s Center for Age-Friendly Excellence (CAFE) in San Mateo County.

With its grant, CAFE has produced aging- and disability-friendly action plans for Daly City and Pacifica, with others for Brisbane and East Palo Alto on the way. Public outreach determines communities’ most urgent unmet needs and action plans recommend solutions.

"If we don’t have age-friendly cities," she says, "it’s going to cost us in the long run."

LADAP grants are another service in California’s 50-year tradition of empowering older adults.