New Jersey Blueprint for Healthy Aging Informs Key Decision Makers
Submission Date: December 2008
State/Territory Submitted on the Behalf of: New Jersey
States/Territories Involved: New Jersey
Domain Addressed:Community-Clinical Linkages
Public Health Issue:- Much of the physical decline associated with aging is due to lifestyle; for example, lack of physical activity and unhealthy diet.
- A third of older people get no leisure-time physical activity and about two thirds are either overweight or obese.
- Health care spending is expected to increase twenty-five percent by 2030, due in large part to the anticipated increased health care needs of older adults.
- Even into advanced old age, people who make healthy lifestyle choices can reap wellness benefits, improve quality of life and prevent disease.
- With a one-year Senior Planning Grant from the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services developed the Blueprint for Healthy Aging in New Jersey, a guide to effective, low-cost senior wellness programs.
- The Blueprint document (www.nj.gov/health/senior/blueprint/) includes:
- Cost-effective programs that can be implemented locally to support older adult healthy behaviors
- County-specific data on older adults and their health status
- Strategies for containing health care costs and public policy recommendations
- Personal success stories from older adults in every New Jersey county
- A feedback form tracks community agencies use of the document to plan, implement or expand older adult health promotion programs and policies.
- For the first time, county-specific data on older adults is available to direct local action on preventive lifestyle changes for older adults to lessen the impact of chronic disease.
- The Blueprint is reaching local, county, state and federal government leaders, local health departments, health and aging service organizations and local foundations. For example:
- The Grotta Foundation for Senior Care used the Blueprint to set priorities for its current grant funding cycle
- Local agencies report they’ll use the Blueprint to increase support for older adult programs.
- Workshops for health and aging service professionals are providing technical assistance on using the Blueprint to expand health promotion to older adults
- Benjamin Mount, Atlantic County Division of Public Health says of the Blueprint, “Great job……I see the Blueprint playing a supporting role in the implementation of the Community Health Improvement Plan action cycle as we address this issue.”
Healthy Communities (general), Other
State Contact Information:
NJ
Sue Lachenmayr
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
609-292-9152
susan.lachenmayr@doh.state.nj.us