SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Commission on Aging (CCoA) announced the release of a new policy brief that offers clear, actionable strategies to strengthen disaster preparedness, response, and recovery for older adults and people with disabilities across California.
The brief summarizes key findings and practical recommendations from the Commission’s report, Rebuilding Lives: Disaster Response and Recovery for Older Adults and People with Disabilities in California, and is now available on the Commission’s website. The document is designed as a hands-on resource for state and local agencies, community organizations, and service providers working to support older Californians before, during, and after emergencies.
The recommendations are organized into three focus areas to help partners implement solutions quickly and effectively:
State-level administrative actions that can streamline coordination and communication
Local strategies that strengthen community-based response and recovery efforts
Statutory and budgetary options that can expand access to critical services and supports
The policy brief builds on input from emergency response professionals, aging and disability service providers, county agencies, nonprofit organizations, and individuals with lived experience, gathered during CCoA’s Recovering Together informational hearing held May 22, 2025, at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles.
“The goal of this brief is to give communities practical tools they can use now to better protect and support older adults and people with disabilities when disasters occur,” said David Lindeman, PhD, Chair of the California Commission on Aging. “These recommendations are designed to strengthen coordination, improve access to services, and help communities recover more quickly.”
CCoA encourages agencies, organizations, and community partners to use and share the brief as a roadmap for building more resilient, age- and disability-inclusive emergency systems across California.
The full report and policy brief are available at ccoa.ca.gov.
As the state’s principal advocacy body for older adults, the California Commission on Aging advises state leaders, legislators, and governmental agencies on policies and programs that promote fairness, autonomy, choice, and dignity for all older Californians.
