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Adams County aging agency strengthens services through new state evaluation system

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A new state performance evaluation system has helped the Adams County Office for Aging strengthen supervision, expand staffing and improve services for older adults, agency leaders said during a Sept. 2 visit by Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich.

The Comprehensive Aging Performance Evaluation, known as CAPE, replaces the Department of Aging’s previous pass-or-fail monitoring system with detailed performance measures and guidance on areas needing improvement.

Lynn Deardorff, executive director of the Adams County Office for Aging, said the evaluation prompted the agency to upgrade its management structure, hire an additional protective services worker and add a program supervisor responsible for quality assurance and training.

The agency now meets the 20-day deadline for determining protective services cases 85 percent of the time.

“The CAPE performance measures are clear and concise as to what is expected from our agency to serve our older adults better,” Deardorff said. “Since our monitoring, our staff understands what is expected from them and which areas we need to improve.”

Launched in 2025, CAPE evaluates multiple programs during a single review of each of Pennsylvania’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). Programs reviewed include protective services, OPTIONS help-at-home services and the Caregiver Support Program.

The department said the approach helps identify problems across programs and directs training resources where they are needed. Monitoring results are posted on the department’s website, allowing residents to review their local agency’s performance.

“The previous monitoring system only told a AAA whether it passed or failed and provided no insight on how to improve,” Kavulich said.

According to the department, as of March 2026, 48 of the state’s 52 aging agencies responded to suspected elder abuse reports within required timeframes at least 85 percent of the time. Twenty-eight agencies met the 20-day case determination timeframe at least 85 percent of the time.

The department also reported that published CAPE results now cover 31 agencies serving 42 counties. A recent virtual training session drew 500 aging network professionals to address issues identified through the evaluations.

More information about CAPE and local agency monitoring results is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s website.

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