Amplifying the Voices of Older Adults, What The People Say
The People Say is a first-of-its-kind resource and catalog of older adults’ experiences that helps policymakers hear the voices of older adults when shaping policy.
Developed by The SCAN Foundation and the Public Policy Lab, The People Say features insights from older adults on issues most important to them, amplifying their perspectives on healthcare access, caregiving support, transportation, and other critical issues. Participants are from communities not often consulted in policymaking, including people of color, those with limited incomes, and the geographically underrepresented.
The People Say’s comprehensive design brings together a wide range of data and viewpoints, giving policymakers a clearer understanding of the complex issues affecting older adults. By bridging the gap between lived experiences and policymaking, The People Say enables decision-makers to tailor systems and services more precisely to the real-world needs of older adults.
The Challenge
One in five people in America will be 65 or older by 2030. This underscores the need for public policy and programs that consider their unique needs.
Existing research does not adequately address the urgent need to actively engage with older adults in system and policy changes. As policymakers work to address gaps in care and create or enhance programs and policies that support older adults, they likely don’t have the complete picture because the voices of older adults aren’t included in the development process. That’s where The People Say comes in. It elevates the stories of older adults into a usable tool for decision-makers so that lived experience informs policymaking.
As an organization committed to elevating the voices of older adults, The SCAN Foundation is proud to fund a project that centers the voices of older adults and amplifies them to decisionmakers.
The Opportunity
Older adults have unique experiences that must be heard to ensure policies and programs are designed with the flexibility to address their varying needs.
With more than 100 hours of interviews with older adults and caregivers from historically marginalized communities, The People Say gathers qualitative data to deepen understanding and awareness of issues most important to them. The easy-to-navigate repository features a robust search function to filter by topics or specific demographics (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, location, insurance type, and topic area). The resource also includes a “How To” page that teaches visitors how to leverage the repository to reach their goals.
By employing qualitative and person-centered research methods from design and social science, The People Say gathers insightful and essential data that improves systems and policies. It’s a win-win for policymakers and healthcare leaders. This tool allows policymakers to make meaningful change that accurately reflects the wants and needs of older adults as their real-world experiences are integrated into policies now and in the future.
The resource launched in the summer of 2024 and has already made a mark. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services invited The People Say to the agency’s annual CX Day, where new customer-centered programs were demoed to agency leadership.
Capitol Hill Launch
The project launched on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to a standing-room-only crowd. Bipartisan congressional staff; leaders from federal agencies; and advocacy, research, and stakeholder organizations joined TSF leaders and program participants in launching The People Say.
What do The People Say?
Watch the trailer for The People Say.
Meet the Participants
Genevieve
“I still don’t understand how Medicare works. […] The only glitch I hit was when I went for a procedure, but I was denied. I made a 35-mile trip for this procedure, but I was thinking, what would happen if I was a cancer patient or had a heart condition and that procedure was a life-saving thing for me? I would have been devastated.”
Christine
“My ideal health experience is going to a doctor’s appointment, seeing my doctor, getting my check-ups, and not being billed an arm and a leg for it.”
Diana
“It’s still hard for me to survive. It’s still hard for me to really accept that my daughter has to take care of me. And I’m grateful, but on the other hand, I [wish] … she didn’t have to worry about me so much.”
What's Next?
Looking ahead, The People Say plans to grow the research pool to include additional geographic locations and populations of interest, such as older adults living in residential care settings, older adults in need of at-home care, older adults who are/have been unhoused, Indigenous older adults, and/or formerly incarcerated older adults to further reflect the diversity of older adults across America.