Healthy Aging
Since ASTHO launched the 2015 President’s Challenge to promote the health of older adults by collaborating across sectors, ASTHO’s healthy aging portfolio has expanded to support state and territorial public health agencies through capacity building and technical assistance opportunities, and equip them with evidence-based best practices. ASTHO also supports the promotion of healthy aging across the lifespan through policies and programs that address both the needs of each age group and whole community (See ASTHO’s Healthy Aging Policy Statement)
When Brain Health Meets Public Health
While there is not a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, there is hope in care and dementia prepared systems. State public health agencies are well primed to follow the 25 actions outlined in the Healthy Brain Initiative for State and Local Public Health Road Map. This 3-minute sketch video provides a quick overview of dementia in the United States and the Road Map. It is supported by the CDC’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program.
Community Health Workers: A Resource for Healthy Aging and Addressing Dementia
The guide explores how community health workers can educate their communities about healthy aging, provide supportive services, encourage early detection of cognitive impairment and dementia, and help caregivers access available support. This new resource gives health departments, health care systems, the aging network, and human services providers as easy way to find available training, education, frameworks, and tools to build partnerships with CHWs as they serve older adults. Created by the Alzheimer’s Association and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the guide has examples of state health department initiatives to train and support CHWs as partners.
Caregiving for People Living With Dementia and How Health Departments Can Make an Impact
In alignment with national strategies, public health agencies play an important role in educating and supporting caregivers. This brief explores how state and territorial health agencies can partner to support unpaid family caregivers, who provided over 18.5 billion unpaid hours of care. Partnerships to consider include medical providers, pharmacists, transportation authorities, financial institutions, and state legislatures.
Communicating in Indian Country: Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain
Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map
In partnership with and with support from CDC and the Alzheimer’s Association, ASTHO assists states in implementing the State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: 2018-2023 Road Map. The Healthy Brain Initiative's Road Map for Indian Country includes culturally appropriate recommendations for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) community leaders as they develop a broad response to Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Cognitive and Caregiving Module
From 2019 to 2020, states will have the opportunity to update their BRFSS to include new and updated modules. States are encouraged to include the six-question Cognitive Module and nine-question Caregiving Module. Data from the modules are uploaded to the CDC's Healthy Aging Data Portal, where users can generate a snapshot of subjective cognitive decline in their states.
ASTHO Healthy Aging Resources
Issue Briefs:
ASTHOConnects:
ASTHO Events:
Falls Prevention
Based in systems change quality improvement principles, the Falls Prevention Learning Collaborative supported states in implementing and evaluating older adults falls prevention initiatives. This learning collaborative was supported by CDC. Objectives:
- Apply innovative community and clinical linkages to achieve systems change and prevent older adult falls.
- Share lessons learned around how innovative alignments between public health, healthcare systems, chronic disease, and injury prevention may achieve and accelerate population health impact.