Improving and Extending Quality of Life Among Older Americans (part 4)

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CDC



•Expand efforts to integrate public health and aging services and enhance outreach for health promotion and disease prevention for older adults. The Healthy Aging Program aims to integrate public health’s expertise in research, health tracking, and prevention programs with the experience and reach of the nation’s aging services network. For example, through the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), CDC funds SENIOR (State-Based Examples of Network Innovation, Opportunity, and Replication) grants in several states (see map) to assist selected health departments in working with aging network colleagues to promote integrated strategies for healthy aging.

The Healthy Aging Program partnered with NACDD in 2008 to release The State of Mental Health and Aging in America Issue Brief 1: What Do the Data Tell Us? (http://www.chronicdisease.org/files/public/IssueBrief_TheStateofMentalHealthandAging
inAmerica.pdf). This brief presents national and state data on six indicators of mental health for older adults. A second brief in 2009 will present interventions addressing depression.

The Healthy Aging Program sponsors The State of Aging and Health in America report series and interactive Web site (http://www.cdc.gov/aging/saha.htm). These tools enable public health and aging services professionals, journalists, and researchers to evaluate key indicators of older adult health at state and national levels. In 2009, the Web site will be updated with the most current data.


•Promote health and preserve health-related quality of life for older adults within health care and other systems. Promoting the broader use of preventive services by older adults is a key public health strategy. A recent analysis showed that in 2004, no more than 25% of adults aged 50–64 years were up-to-date on immunizations and cancer screenings recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

In 2008, CDC collaborated with the American Medical Association and AARP to develop Building Clinical and Community Bridges to Promote Preventive Services for Adults Aged 50–64 in the United States. This tool includes easily referenced national and state data on preventive services, effective community-based strategies, and “calls to action” designed to ensure that adults aged 50–64 years receive potentially lifesaving preventive services.

The Healthy Aging Program, partnered with key collaborators to fund a scientific examination of the effectiveness of community-based interventions for treating depression in older adults. Based on these findings, The Guide to Community
Preventive Services Task Force made three new recommendations concerning mental health and older adults (http://www.thecommunityguide