Older Adult Health News and Updates
Ageism 101
Ageism is an ongoing social problem that older Americans face in the aging process. Ageism, or myths about aging, creates barriers for older adults that are trying to age with dignity. As Americans live longer and healthier lives, ensuring equal access to resources that support healthy aging is important.
Blog Topics
Aging in Style: Health Topics among Hispanics/Latinos
Most older adults would prefer to live out their golden years in the comfort of their homes. This population continues to grow more diverse – by 2060, Hispanic Americans are projected to make up 21% of the entire older adult population.1 For Hispanic/Latino elders, there are unique challenges to safely aging in place including managing multiple chronic diseases, language barriers, difficulty navigating the US health care system, minimal financial resources to meet the needs that come with aging at home, receiving sufficient support for family caregivers, and maintaining important connections with loved ones. As this population grows, it will become even more important for service providers to understand how to meet these needs.
Elder Health in the United States
The average lifespan of Americans has been steadily increasing over the years, resulting in a growing number of adults that live to be over 65 years old. Older adults are also becoming increasingly diverse: this population is expected to transform from 7.9% to 22% Hispanic/Latino by the year 2060. As this population grows and changes, it’s important to identify and address their unique health challenges, to support safely and happily growing old at home.
New CHW Program Helps Older Adults Maintain Independence with Dignity
Un Paso a la Vez (“One Step at a Time”) is a new program in South Texas that uses Community Health Workers (CHWs) to help low-income, older Hispanic adults maintain independence with dignity. As part of the program, CHWs visit participants at their homes to identify their needs and create an action plan that involves their family and the larger community with the goal of supporting participants to remain in their homes with the appropriate support.
