Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #119701

Nancy Whitelaw, PhD, Director, Center for Healthy Aging, The National Council on the Aging, 300 D St SW, Suite 801, Washington, DC 20024, 202.479.6612, nancy.whitelaw@ncoa.org

Evidence-based programs provided through community-based organizations can improve the health and quality of life of older adults. Such programs can be incorporated into existing programming, providing excellent opportunities for these organizations to expand their reach and effectiveness. To better demonstrate that potential, the National Council on the Aging (NCOA) is on the forefront of translating health promotion and disease management strategies into evidence-based model programs feasible for local agencies to operate and attractive to older adults. Dr. Whitelaw, a leading expert on health promotion programming, will describe a national project conducted by NCOA in which programs addressing one of following areas -- diabetes disease self-management, nutrition, depression management, and physical activity – were implemented in cities around the country in a variety of sites, including senior centers, case management locations, and faith-based settings. Dr. Whitelaw will describe how the programs successfully reached highly diverse populations and their positive impact on self-reported health status. In addition, Dr. Whitelaw will identify tools and resources useful in selecting, tailoring, implementing, and evaluating promising programs, including free toolkits on the four described programs that are designed to serve as guides for community-based organizations. Dr. Whitelaw will conclude with a description of a group of community-based projects being implemented through an initiative of the Administration on Aging, based on the NCOA's original work.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Describe 3 strategies for implementing community-based health promotion programs in diverse communities.
• Identify 2 resources for selecting, tailoring and implementing promising programs.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.