HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Department of Aging has unveiled a new data-driven system to enhance the transparency and accountability of the services provided by the state’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). Called the Comprehensive Agency Performance Evaluation (CAPE), the initiative represents a historic shift in how the Department monitors and communicates the performance of local AAAs, which deliver essential services to older adults across Pennsylvania.
For the first time in its history, the Department is publicly releasing performance results of AAAs in significant program areas such as elder abuse investigations and assistance with daily living tasks. CAPE consolidates multiple performance metrics into a single comprehensive review, enabling a more holistic evaluation of each AAA’s work.
“Today, we’re sharing the first results of CAPE, the first major overhaul and upgrade of the Department’s monitoring system in decades,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. “Under the leadership of Governor Shapiro, in less than two years, we have developed, tested and launched a system that enables us to monitor AAA performance consistently and accurately – and make those results easily available to the public. Monitoring is just one component of what we have envisioned and engineered to be a continual flow of communication toward strengthening accountability and performance.”
The CAPE system evaluates AAAs on key performance metrics, including adherence to documentation standards, administrative oversight, and proper management of complaints related to elder abuse. It also measures the effectiveness of programs like OPTIONS, which helps older adults with daily tasks, and the Caregiver Support Program. To foster greater transparency, the Department has committed to routinely posting CAPE results on its website alongside other key performance indicators such as face-to-face visit timeliness after suspected abuse reports and waiting list statistics.
Work on CAPE began in the spring of 2023, culminating in a year-long pilot program involving five AAAs. The Department has since incorporated lessons learned during the pilot phase to ensure that CAPE delivers actionable insights. “The system has been developed both to help the AAAs identify problems and strive for excellence, while setting objective measurements and impactful sanction procedures if that doesn’t happen,” added Kavulich.
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging, which distributes millions of dollars annually to fund AAA programs, aims to use CAPE to maintain performance standards and reinforce trust in its network of services. Moving forward, the Department plans to monitor AAA performance data monthly while conducting scheduled comprehensive reviews. Regular discussions, technical support, and training opportunities will supplement these evaluations to ensure continuous improvement.
This milestone marks a significant step toward enhancing the quality of services for older Pennsylvanians while setting a model for transparency and accountability across public service programs. With CAPE now fully operational, the Department looks ahead to expanding its efforts to drive measurable improvements across the AAA network.
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