Older Adults

This paper discusses the role of the public health field in promoting the health of older adults. It summarizes a meeting of aging stakeholders in Fall 2017 and analyzes the document developed at the meeting, called the Framework for an Age-Friendly Public Health System. This framework outlines the potential for the further involvement of public health in aging by presenting five major directions the field can take to make a positive impact on the aging process.

This report from the Center for Oral Health highlights how an alarming number of Californians age 65 years and older are suffering from untreated tooth decay and poor oral health. This report includes a series of recommendations to eliminate barriers to care and improve oral health.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a $400 million federal workforce investment program projected to serve over 67,000 low-income unemployed older adults in program year (PY) 2017. This is the only federally funded program to target older individuals who want to enter or reenter the workforce. The fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget eliminates all funding for SCSEP. This white paper examines the evidence on the value of SCSEP and discusses the potential effects of cutting it.

This issue brief from the Administration for Community Living describes the nutritional quality of congregate and home-delivered meals offered through the Nutrition Services Program and examines their compliance with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The brief also discusses how the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010 was used to assess the nutritional quality of the congregate and home-delivered meals.

Meals on Wheels of America released a new report, funded by the AARP and Caesars Foundations, titled Hunger in Older Adults: Challenges and Opportunities for the Aging Network. This first-of-its-kind resource explores a variety of available food assistance programs that can be used in combination to more effectively address the needs of seniors in your community.

Mathematica Policy Research (MPR) published an issue brief about the characteristics of elderly individuals participating in and eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

This is a report on the lifelong disparities that exist among older American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) populations when compared to the general United States population of older adults. The report includes a definition of who falls into the category of American Indian, identifies where these populations generally live in the U.S., and compares AI/ANs generally with the rest of the population of older adults and also specifically compares health coverage.

This infographic shows an overview of the current statistics pertaining to experiences of individuals with disabilities that are living in the United States.

This year, the Older Americans Act (OAA) celebrates its 50th year—a golden jubilee for seniors and communities across the country. For this occasion, ADvancing States and Altarum Institute’s Center for Elder Care and Advanced Illness (CECAI) honor outstanding older adults who both volunteer for and benefit from the law’s programs. This booklet highlights the myriad ways that seniors make the United States a great place in which to live, work, and grow old. Email adiaz@advancingstates.org for a hard copy.

The National Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), the National Council on Aging (NCOA), and UnitedHealthcare released a survey that collected data through telephone interviews from 1,650 older adults and influencers on aging.The survey posed opinion based questions about the process of aging. The results reflect that 86 percent of respondents felt prepared for aging; however, 40 percent were most concerned about maintaining physical health and over 30 percent worried about mental health and memory.