HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania’s new performance monitoring system for Area Agencies on Aging has identified widespread documentation deficiencies in older adult protective services, prompting the Department of Aging to launch targeted statewide training aimed at strengthening investigations and improving oversight.
Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich announced the initiative Wednesday as the agency began a statewide tour highlighting the Comprehensive Aging Performance Evaluation (CAPE), a monitoring system introduced in 2025 to replace the department’s previous pass-fail review process.
The department also conducted a virtual training session for approximately 500 aging network professionals, focusing on documentation practices identified as a recurring weakness through CAPE evaluations.
According to the Department of Aging, more than 60% of the Area Agencies on Aging reviewed under the new system fell below compliance thresholds for documentation of protective services investigations.
Officials emphasized that incomplete documentation does not necessarily indicate services were not provided. However, inadequate records can make it difficult to determine what actions were taken during an investigation or how a case progressed.
Unlike the previous oversight system, CAPE evaluates each of Pennsylvania’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging using 61 separate performance measures during a single review, allowing the department to identify operational trends and direct assistance to agencies with specific deficiencies.
Kavulich said the new approach allows the department to tailor training based on identified needs rather than relying on broad statewide instruction.
“CAPE guided us to where the system needed to improve,” he said. “CAPE is unlike anything the Department has ever used before and is delivering improvements, increased oversight and accountability, and ultimately, keeping older Pennsylvanians safe.”
The department reported that protective services staff from agencies across the Commonwealth participated in the initial training, which is expected to be followed by additional sessions.
Janine Maust, executive director of Indiana County Aging Services, described the training as useful for both new and experienced employees and noted that it provides supervisors with tools to evaluate documentation quality and consistency.
The Department of Aging also released CAPE evaluations for the Area Agencies on Aging serving Pike and Somerset counties, bringing the total number of published evaluations to 28 agencies covering 39 counties.
For the first time, CAPE results are being published routinely on the department’s website, allowing residents to review how their local Area Agency on Aging performs in protective services, OPTIONS in-home services and caregiver support programs.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget includes a $1 million increase to expand CAPE oversight and an additional $1 million for the administration’s 10-year Aging Our Way, PA initiative supporting older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers.
Additional information about CAPE and agency performance reports is available through the Pennsylvania Department of Aging at https://www.pa.gov/agencies/aging/aaa-monitoring/cape-development.
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