1. OLDER ADULTS
&
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES
By Linda Langevoort
South University Online
Health Promotion & Wellness
March 24, 2015

2. CONTENTS
The Outlook………………………………………
Assistance…………………………………………
Current Barriers…………………………………...
Roles of Health Care Professionals…………………..
Roles of Public Health……………………………..
Cognitive Care Program……………………………..
Community Involvement……………………………..
Financial Support………………………………….
Projected Risks If Goals Are Not Met………………
Tracking the Data…………………………………
Disparities for Minorities……………………………

3. ~OUTLOOK ~
OLDER INDIVIDUALS ARE GROWING IN
P OP ULATION AND IN THEIR NEEDS .
BY 2030, MOS T OLDER INDIVIDUALS WILL
BE COP ING WITH MORE THAN ONE
CHRONIC CONDITION.
THE F OCUS BY 2020, IS T O P ROVIDE
P REVENTATIVE HEALTH S ERVICES , GOOD
QUALITY HEALTHCARE, AND P ROVIDE
OLDER ADULTS WITH MORE S PECIALIS TS ,
T O MEET THEIR MULTIFACETED
CONDITIONS .

4. ~ASSISTANCE~
 Administration on Aging.
 Family Caregiver Alliance.
 National Health Information
Center.
 Federal Health Information &
Clearinghouses.
 U.S. Department of Health &
Human Resources.

5. ~CURRENT BARRIERS~
 More trained people are needed to
provide elder care.
 Providing healthcare guidance for
caregivers.
 Help for older people to manage
caring for themselves.
 Coordinating care.
 Providing good quality care.
www.buzzfeed.com

6. ~ROLES FOR HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONALS~
 Healthcare Professionals should advise older adults on ways to keep
active.
 Advice should be given on preventative measures against falls.
 Provide information for caregivers and resources for them to use.
 Screen older adults- Make available Medicare wellness checks.
 Colon screenings and breast care checks are advised for this
population. Provide clinics or events.

7. ~ROLES FOR PUBLIC
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS~
 Provide social support interventions in the community
setting. (Health walks, exercise programs, physical fitness
activities)
 Programs to help caregivers and older adults such as: meals
on wheels, respite care, support group and counseling for
caregivers.
 Community programs to screen older adults and provide
needed vaccinations and care. (I.E. flu shots, pneumonia
shots, shingles vaccinations, diabetic care, smoking
cessation)
(Eldercare Workforce Alliance, 2013)

8. ~COGNITIVE CARE
PROGRAM~
The Focus:
1. Measurement of cognitive
abilities for this population.
2. Educating why cognitive abilities
decline.
3. Discussion on what can be done
to improve cognitive abilities.
4. Strategies for caregivers of those
with Alzheimer’s disease.
5. Resources and tips.
Healthyliving.com

9. ~COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT~
 The community can provide assistance to caregivers and resources.
 The community can deliver meals and find home health aides to
help those older adults that are living alone.
 The community can provide mobile transportation to medical
appointments and senior centers.
 The community can provide activities for the older population.
(Eldercare Workforce Alliance, 2013)

10. ~FINANCIAL SUPPORT~
 National Partners
 State and Federal
 Local Partners
 Healthy Aging Research Network
 Alzheimer’s Association
 National Institute on Aging
(The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006-2011)
Thepointsguy.com

11. ~PROJECTED RISKS IF
GOALS ARE NOT MET~
 Decrease in quality of life.
 Impaired functioning.
 Sedentary older adults.
 More chronic illness.
 More dependent care.
 Increase of health services.
(HealthyPeople.gov)

12. ~TRACKING THE DATA~
By using evidence based programs, clinical recommendations, and
consumer information, we can provide trusted sources. Tracking of outcomes from
the program, will help in future planning, as well as, provide a progressive outlook
on how the program worked for this population.

13. ~DISPARITIES FOR
MINORITIES~
 Our definition of a “healthy
brain” can be swayed by race and
ethnicity.
 Physical health may not be the
only protective measure to a
healthy brain; what if it is related
to nutrition?
(continued)

14. ~DISPARITIES FOR
MINORITIES~
 Those speaking foreign
languages could be impeded
from finding services.
 Rural individuals could be
secluded from access to care and
programs.
(www.cdc.gov)
www.pinintrest.com

15. ~References~
Eldercare Workforce Alliance. (2013, November).Caring for an aging america:
Meeting the health care needs of older adults. Retrieved from
http://www.eldercareworkforce.org/research/issue-briefs/research:qanda/
Healthfinder.gov. (2015). Caregivers. Retrieved from
http://www.healthfinder.gov/FindServices/SearchContext.aspx?topic=140
HealthyPeople.gov. (2015). Behavioral and social approaches to increase physical
activity: Social support interventions in community settings—recommendations to increase
physical activity in communities . Retrieved from
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/tools-resources/evidence-based-
resource/behavioral-and-social-approaches-increase-physical

16. ~References~
HealthyPeople.gov. (n.d.). Older adults- interventions and resources. Retrieved from
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/older-
adults/ebrs
HealthyPeople.gov. (2015). Overview. Retrieved from
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/older-adults
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006-2011). The cdc healthy
brain initiative. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/aging/pdf/hbibook_508.pdf