Aging and Adult Services – Public Guardian named recipient of prestigious Aging Innovations Award from USAging

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DAAS-Public Guardian staff pose with a USAging Aging Innovations Award at the 2026 conference. — From left to right: Department of Behavioral Health Deputy Director Amber Carpenter, Department of Aging and Adult Services-Public Guardian Special Projects Manager Jennifer Pohlman, and Department of Aging and Adult Services-Public Guardian Director Sharon Nevins.

The San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services-Public Guardian (DAAS-PG) is proud to announce that two of its programs received Aging Innovations and Achievement Awards at USAging’s 51st Annual Conference and Tradeshow, held July 18-21 in San Diego.

The Aging Innovations and Achievement Awards recognize creative and effective ways to help older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers live safely and independently in their homes and communities. The awards are supported by Caregiving.com and Cumulus Care.

The Platinum Campus, a component of the Highland Creek Housing and Wellness Campus, previously known as Pacific Village, received an Aging Innovations Award, one of the highest honors presented by USAging to its members. Recognized as one of only 16 programs nationwide, the campus brings together housing, health care and aging services in one location, supported by wraparound services that include behavioral health treatment and recuperative care.

READY Together was also recognized as one of 33 programs nationwide to receive an Aging Innovations and Achievement Award. The integrated emergency preparedness, response and recovery framework helps protect older adults and people with disabilities during natural disasters and other emergencies.

“These award-winning programs reflect the ingenuity, dedication and local leadership of Area Agencies on Aging across the country,” said Sandy Markwood, CEO of USAging. “They show what is possible when communities invest in the innovative approaches that Area Agencies on Aging develop to respond to the real needs of older adults and caregivers, and we are proud to celebrate the organizations leading this important work.”

The Platinum Campus was recognized by USAging for its innovative, cross-sector approach to addressing homelessness among older adults and medically vulnerable residents. The Platinum Campus is one aspect of the county’s innovative holistic campus, a partnership between DAAS-PG, Community Development and Housing, and Behavioral Health that integrates recuperative care, permanent supportive housing, behavioral health treatment and aging services into a single continuum of care.

The Platinum Campus project will provide recuperative care beds for individuals experiencing homelessness who need a safe place to recover after hospitalization, as well as permanent supportive housing for older adults and people with disabilities paired with intensive case management and wraparound services that promote stability, independence and long-term well-being.

Supported by more than $75 million in braided federal and state funding, the campus demonstrates how collaborative partnerships can create sustainable solutions to complex community challenges to improve housing and health outcomes while reducing reliance on emergency departments, hospitals and law enforcement.

READY Together is a comprehensive emergency preparedness, response and recovery framework that protects older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers before, during and after disasters. By bringing together the expertise of the Area Agency on Aging, Adult Protective Services, the Aging and Disability Resource Connection and the San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services, the model uses data-driven outreach, coordinated emergency response, rapid deployment of essential resources and community recovery efforts to help ensure vulnerable residents are not left behind.

During major emergency activations, READY Together has connected with thousands of older adults and caregivers, resolved urgent needs through Adult Protective Services strike teams, and coordinated the delivery of food, medications, medical equipment, housing resources and behavioral health support. The framework’s intergenerational recovery efforts engaged and supported more than 4,500 community members, demonstrating the power of coordinated partnerships in building resilient communities and creating a scalable model for equitable disaster response and long-term recovery.

“These awards recognize the power of collaboration to address some of our community’s most complex challenges with innovative, person-centered solutions,” said DAAS-PG Director Sharon Nevins. “By integrating housing, healthcare, aging services and emergency response, we are helping older adults and people with disabilities live safely, independently and with dignity.”

The 2026 USAging Aging Innovations and Achievement Awards honored traditional and new strategies in a range of categories, including agency operations, caregiving, community planning and livable communities, elder abuse prevention, health–social care integration, healthy aging, home and community-based services, housing and homelessness, nutrition, social engagement, technology, transportation and mobility, and workforce development and volunteerism. All winners are highlighted in the USAging Aging Innovations & Achievement Awards Showcase.

Additional County Update News – August 13, 2026