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AoA
eNews
August 2004
  Message
from the Assistant Secretary: You Can! Campaign Partner Enrollment
Begins September 1
Many older adults are aging well and living longer than any
time in history, but still far too many people are physically
inactive and can improve their nutrition choices. Today’s
older adults who are interested in making healthier lifestyle
choices are looking for confirmation that lifestyle changes are
within their reach. Many of them seek encouragement and companionship--making
it important for local organizations to offer older adults practical
suggestions and programs for making wise food choices and increasing
their physical activity.
AoA is responding to this need. On September 1, 2004 AoA will
begin enrolling organizations as partners in a new campaign called, “You
Can! Steps to Healthier Aging.” The campaign is the aging
component of the HHS Steps to a HealthierUS initiative, which
encourages Americans of every age to make healthier choices.
It is based on growing awareness among public health officials
and medical experts that even modest improvements in diet and
activity can promote healthy aging. AoA’s You Can! campaign
objective is to mobilize 2,000 organizations around the country
to reach 2 million older adults in two years. You Can! partners
will join together to spread the word among older adults about
the importance of making healthier lifestyle choices; offer information;
and look for ways to implement programs designed to encourage
older adults to make wise food choices and be more physically
active. I met with leaders from 50 key national organizations
on August 12 to discuss how they can get involved in the campaign.
AoA invites all members of the National Aging Services network
and interested organization to join the campaign. With your organization’s
commitment, we can help older Americans be active and healthy.
For more information about how to get involved in the You Can!
campaign, log on to http://www.aoa.gov/youcan/
Josefina G. Carbonell
New Funding Available
for Innovative Approaches to Integrated Care Management
On August 6, AoA announced the availability of
funding to support innovative approaches to the management of care
in the Aging Services Network. This program will fund existing practices
and new ideas that can promote the integration of health and social
supports for older people, and strengthen the position of the Network
in health and long term care. As new options for older people are
emerging in health and long term care, managed care is playing an
increasingly important role. AoA is launching this grants program
as part of a broader effort to gain a strategic understanding of
how the traditional strengths of the Aging Services Network can add
value to models of integrated health and long term care, including
managed care. The grants are specifically designed to increase our
understanding of innovations in aging services that involve the use
of partnerships with managed care organizations and capitated financing
arrangements to improve the quality of care for older people. AoA
expects to award up to 20 projects at up to $50,000 each under this
program. Eligible applicants include non-profit community-based aging
services provider organizations that currently receive funding under
the Older Americans Act and Area Agencies on Aging. The due date
for applications is September 10, 2004. A copy of the full program
announcement, including application instructions, can be found at:Funding
Opportunities
HHS Secretary Launches
Third Annual "Take A Loved One to the
Doctor Day" On July 12, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced the kick
off of this year's HHS-ABC Radio Networks campaign, "Take
a Loved One To the Doctor Day." The campaign is designed to
reduce health disparities affecting racial and ethnic minorities
by encouraging individuals to go to a doctor or health professional
for a health screening. Joining with Secretary Thompson to lead
the effort for the third year is Chairperson Tom Joyner, nationally
syndicated radio personality and host of the Tom Joyner Morning
Show. Designated as Sept. 21, 2004, "Take a Loved One To The
Doctor Day" will rally minority consumers to visit a doctor,
nurse, or other health professional or make an appointment to see
a health professional. The campaign is part of "Closing the
Health Gap," an ongoing campaign partnership that combines
HHS' medical expertise with the broadcast resources of ABC Radio
Networks and the efforts of hundreds of national and community-based
organizations. In celebration of Take Your Loved One to the Doctor
Day, AoA, along with other HHS agencies will organize a health
fair on September 2 – 4 as part of the Tom Joyner Family
Reunion at Walt Disney World Resort. AoA also will participate
with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as part of
a health fair in Baltimore on September 21. HHS has set up a toll-free
number and Web site for people interested in "Closing the
Health Gap" and "Take a Loved One To The Doctor Day" campaign
information and materials, including a tool kit to help communities
organize local health events. The number is 1-800-444-6472, and
the Web site is www.healthgap.omhrc.gov. For more information about
the Tom Joyner Family reunion visit: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/family/
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AoA News
Policy and Program Updates
Grantee Spotlight Of Interest
AoA Releases First National
Family Caregiver Support Program Report
AoA is pleased to
announce the release of its first report on Title III-E and Title
VI-C implementation, The National Family Caregiver Support Program:
Compassion in Action. Early findings show that states, tribes and
communities across the U.S. are making significant progress in
implementing the program and that initial expectations have been
greatly exceeded. States and localities have demonstrated a great
deal of creativity in forming new local partnerships, improving
access to a wide ranges of services, conducting outreach to special
populations, and providing flexible services that can respond to
the unique needs of consumers. This report will be a useful tool
for all those working to expand home and community services and
supports to enable elderly individuals and persons with disabilities
to live in the most integrated settings appropriate to their needs.
Copies of the report are being mailed this month directly to State
Units on Aging, Area Agencies on Aging, Indian Tribal Organizations
and selected national organizations. As an integral part of our
nation’s long-term care system, the National Family Caregiver
Support Program fulfills a key responsibility of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services in its role to implement the President’s
New Freedom Initiative. Additional copies of the report can be
downloaded at: http://www.aoa.gov/caregivers
Senior Medicare Patrol Volunteers
Recognized in Washington, D.C.
AoA recently honored the contributions of
21 senior volunteers who serve as community educators and resources
in the Administration’s effort to fight fraud, error and abuse
in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Josefina G. Carbonell, Assistant
Secretary for Aging, presented awards during a Capitol Hill ceremony
that was part of AoA’s sixth National Health Care Fraud Control
Conference held July 21-23 in Washington, D.C. Senators Grassley,
Harkin, and Craig joined the Assistant Secretary to honor the volunteers
at this event. AoA’s volunteers have worked in their own communities
and in local senior centers, educating more than 1.5 million Medicare
and Medicaid beneficiaries on how to recognize and report billing
errors and suspected fraud. Senior volunteers undergo training to
review health care benefit statements and outline the steps older
adults can take to identify potential fraudulent practices and protect
themselves from fraud, error and other abuses in the health care
system. For more information go to: http://www.aoa.gov/press/pr/2004/07_Jul/07_19_04.asp.
AoA’s Sixth National
Health Care Fraud Control Conference
AoA’s sixth
National Health Care Fraud Control Conference on July 21-23 in
Washington, D.C. highlighted partnering and collaboration at the
federal, state, and local levels as a major Senior Medicare Patrol
program strategy for furthering health care fraud awareness. Mark
McClellan, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services joined the Assistant Secretary in a keynote presentation
highlighting the importance of partnerships. The conference brought
together grantees, volunteers, federal agencies, state organizations,
law enforcement, and aging organizations that have a stake in the
future of Medicare and Medicaid. Administered by AoA, the Senior
Medicare Patrol Projects recruit and train retired professionals
such as doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers, accountants and others
to work with Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The Senior Medicare
Patrol Project grants, originally the “Health Care Anti-Fraud,
Waste and Abuse Community Volunteers Demonstration Projects,” were
established in 1997 under the Older Americans Act. For more information
about AoA’s Senior Medicare Patrol Projects contact Doris
Summey at 202/357-3533 or visit http://www.aoa.gov/smp.
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Secretary Thompson
Holds Fourth Breakfast Dialogue with LCAO Members
On July 23, Secretary of the Department of Health
and Human Services, Tommy Thompson held his fourth breakfast dialogue
with members of the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations. The
Assistant Secretary opened the breakfast with remarks about AoA partnerships,
both federal and non-federal, that advance the Department and AoA's
initiatives. Dr. Richard Carmona, Surgeon General, Michael O’Grady,
HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and Mark McClellan,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, joined
the Assistant Secretary. Topics discussed included prevention, home
and community based care, Medicare, Medicaid, and care management.
Upcoming Workshop on
Physical Activity and Using the New DRIs
Don't miss this special American Dietetic Association
Pre-Food and Nutrition Conference and Exhibition Workshop, "Across
the Spectrum of Care: Promoting Physical Activity for Older Adults
and Implementation of the DRIs" with keynote speaker Gordon
L. Jensen, MD, PhD, Director, Vanderbilt Center for Human Nutrition.
Dr. Jensen will address the issue of obesity and older adults. The
program will consist of a plenary, panel discussions and hands-on
roundtable discussions on implementing physical activity and nutrition
requirements in a variety of settings. Participants also can learn
more about AoA’s new You Can! Steps to Healthier Aging at this
workshop. AoA, the Gerontological Nutritionists Dietetic Practice
Group, the National Resource Center on Nutrition, Physical Activity
and Aging, the Meals on Wheels Association of America, the National
Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, and the California
Association of Nutrition Directors for the Elderly are co-sponsoring
the workshop. Join dietitians and aging program staff on Saturday,
October 2 from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm at the Sheraton Anaheim. Registration
is open to the public, so anyone interested or involved in nutrition
services to older adults is encouraged to attend at the $45 fee.
To access the registration form and brochure, please click http://www.gndpg.org
New Macular Degeneration Education
Campaign Launched
The Alliance for Aging Research recently launched
a health education campaign on age-related macular degeneration.
The initiative is designed to provide both physicians and patients
with the information and resources necessary to educate individuals
on how to cope with this condition while maintaining an active and
self-sufficient lifestyle. The campaign has been reviewed and approved
by a panel of experts and has received scientific clearance from
the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
Materials have been mailed to the offices of approximately 26,000
eye care professionals. The Alliance for Aging Research, believes
that greater access to the latest scientific information will empower
people to take control of their own health, while educating them
on the importance and need for further medical advances. From policy
issues to consumer health programs, the Alliance works to generate
knowledge and action on age-related issues as a citizen advocacy
organization dedicated to improving the health and independence of
Americans as they age. The first copy campaign materials is available
for free and additional copies can be ordered for a minimal charge.
All of the campaign materials are available at http://www.agingresearch.org or by calling (800) 639-2421.
Online Information
about the Aging and Disability Resource Center Initiative
We invite you to learn about the AoA and
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's Aging and Disability
Resource Center grant initiative by visiting the ADRC Web site.
You'll find useful information on this Web site about how the ADRC
initiative is being implemented to streamline access to long term
care. The ADRC Web site is designed to disseminate information
to a broad audience, including grantees, and contains information
about ADRC grant recipients and their projects. It also offers
numerous resources on the design and implementation of Aging and
Disability Resource Centers. The new ADRC initiative is designed
to create single points of entry into long term care systems for
people with disabilities of all ages. For more information visit
http://www.adrc-tae.org.
Grantee Spotlight:
Making the Link program to be Recognized by Archstone Foundation
Making the Link: Connecting Caregivers with
Services through Physicians, an AoA grant funded program of the
National Association of Area Agencies
on Aging will be recognized this fall with an “Honorable Mention” in
the 2004 Archstone Award for Excellence in Program Innovation program.
Making the Link brings together the aging network and health care
providers for the benefit of family caregivers across the county.
Now in its second year, Making the Link connects approximately 200
Area Agencies on Aging and Title VI – Native American aging
programs with physicians in their local communities. The program’s
goal is to increase awareness among physicians about the essential
health care role that family caregivers play, the significant impact
of caregiving on the health of the caregiver, and the availability
of caregiver services from AAAs and Title VI agencies. Through partnerships
with AAAs, physicians are referring family caregivers to these local
agencies for vital support services, including information and assistance,
counseling, support groups, respite care and adult day care. Awareness
among physicians about the health implications of caregiving has
also been enhanced through n4a’s national partnerships with
organizations representing general and specialty practice physicians.
The award will be presented during the 132nd Annual Meeting of the
American Public Health Association, November 6-10, 2004, in Washington,
D.C. The Archstone Foundation and the Gerontological Health Section
of the American Public Health Association established the Archstone
Award in 1997 to identify best practice models in the field of health
and aging. For more information about this project visit http://www.n4a.org/makingthelink.cfm
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Brigham and Women’s
Hospital and Harvard Medical School Unveil Online Resource to Promote
Positive Aging
The Positive Aging Resource Center is offering
elderly populations a unique online resource to help promote positive
aging through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration. PARC is launching their consumer education
Web site to educate older adults and their families about mental
health, encourage healthy aging and decrease the stigma associated
with both mental health and aging. The PARC Web site differentiates
itself through unique interactive features and personal stories of
older adults who have overcome the challenges of mental illness and
aging. PARC is based in Boston at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s
Department of Psychiatry and Harvard Medical School’s Division
on Aging, and collaborates with major national provider and consumer
organizations serving the elderly. For more information visit: http://www.positiveaging.org
Eye Drops May Delay or Prevent Glaucoma
in African Americans at Higher Risk
On June 21 the National Eye Institute of the National
Institutes of Health announced that eye drops that reduce elevated
pressure inside the eye can delay or possibly prevent the onset of
glaucoma in African Americans at higher risk for developing the disease,
researchers have found. This makes it more important to identify
African Americans at higher risk for developing glaucoma so they
can receive prompt evaluation for possible medical treatment. These
results were reported in the June issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.
Medicare covers an annual dilated eye examination for people at higher
risk for glaucoma. This important preventive benefit defines higher
risk as people with diabetes; those with a family history of glaucoma;
and African Americans aged 50 and older.For more information please
visit here.
Studies Suggest
People with Early Alzheimer’s
Disease Can Still Learn
People who have early stage Alzheimer's
disease could be more capable of learning than previously thought,
according to two new studies supported by the National Institute
on Aging, a part of the National Institutes of Health. The promising
studies suggest that some people with early cognitive impairment
can still be taught to recall important information and to better
perform daily tasks. Researchers in Miami, FL, found mildly impaired
AD patients who participated in 3-to-4 months of cognitive rehabilitation
had a 170 percent improvement, on average, in their ability to
recall faces and names and a 71 percent improvement in their ability
to provide proper change for a purchase. The participants also
could respond to and process information more rapidly and were
better oriented to time and place compared to a similar group of
AD patients who did not receive this targeted intervention. These
improvements were still evident 3 months after the cognitive training
ended. The findings are reported in the July-August 2004 issue
of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. AD is an irreversible
disorder of the brain, robbing those who have it of memory, and
eventually, overall mental and physical function, leading to death.
It is the most common cause of dementia among people over age 65,
affecting an estimated 4.5 million Americans. For more information
on AD research or a copy of Caregiver Guide: Tips for Caregivers
of People with Alzheimer's Disease from the National Institute
on Aging also is available. These publications may be viewed at
NIA's AD-dedicated website http://www.alzheimers.org,
the Institute's Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR)
Center, or by
calling ADEAR at 1-800-438-4380.
Under-using Medications Because of Cost May Lead
to Adverse Health Outcomes
Researchers recently reported that middle-aged
and older Americans with heart disease who cut back on their prescribed
medications because of cost were 50% more likely to suffer heart
attacks, strokes, or angina than those who did not report cost-related
medication under-use. The study, funded in part by the National
Institute on Aging, appeared in the July 2004 issue of Medical
Care, a journal of the American Public Health Association. This
is the first nationally representative longitudinal study to demonstrate
that patients with serious chronic illnesses experience adverse
health events when they restrict their use of prescription drugs
due to cost. The downturns in patients' health were observed over
a relatively brief (2-3 year) period, suggesting that cost barriers
to prescription drug use may have important short-term effects
on older patients' health and well-being. For more information
visit:
http://www.nia.nih.gov.
New Family Caregiver Alliance Medication
Management Fact Sheet
Monitoring medications for a chronically
ill older person is one of the most critical responsibilities family
caregivers face. While medicines can increase life span and improve
quality of life, they can also lead to devastating consequences
if improperly used or administered. "Caregiver's Guide to
Medications and Aging," a new Fact Sheet from the National
Center on Caregiving at Family Caregiver Alliance, offers guidelines
for the safe and effective use of medications. It includes tips
ranging from how best to work with your pharmacist to how to recognize
adverse drug reactions. A list of questions about medications is
included, along with a form for tracking medication delivery. The
Fact Sheet is available free on FCA's Web site at http://www.caregiver.org.
Printed versions of this and all other FCA Fact Sheets can be ordered
by sending $1 per title to Publication Orders, Family Caregiver
Alliance, 180 Montgomery Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA
94104.
New Report on Long-Distance Caregiving
Now Available
Find out more about family care from a distance, a fact of life that affects
millions of Americans. Living at a distance from an aging parent or grandparent
can make caregiving a complex and difficult challenge. Miles Away: The MetLifeStudy
of Long-Distance Caregiving by the MetLife Mature Market Institute and the National
Alliance for Caregiving examines the challenges long-distance caregivers face
not only in their personal lives but also in their work and careers. For more
information go to: http://www.caregiving.org/milesaway.pdf
Save the Date for National Adult Influenza
Awareness Week
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the National Coalition
for Adult Immunization have set the date for this year’s National Adult
Influenza Awareness Week this year’s September 26 to October 2. This
year's theme is "Immunization: Building a Pathway to a Healthy Tomorrow." NFID
has a campaign kit available with materials to help you educate consumers and
health care workers about adult immunization. For more information visit http://www.nfid.org/publications/naiaw04/
The National
Fraud Information Center offers Tips for Avoiding Fraud
Check out the National Fraud Information Center’s Web site for tips on
Elder Fraud, Telemarketing Fraud, Internet Fraud, Counterfeit Drugs and more.
The NFIC has tips for consumers about how to stop fraud, including advice about
warning signs about how to tell whether an older friend, relative or client has
been targeted for telemarketing fraud, how to remove your name from marketing
lists, and information and forms for filing a complaint. For more information
visit http://www.fraud.org or
call the NFIC call information center at 1-800-876-7060,
9 am – 5 pm (Eastern), Monday – Friday.
NHLBI Offers
Three New Heart Healthy Recipe Booklets
The National Heart Lung Blood Institute offers three new recipe booklets,
proving that summer also can be fun and healthy. Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy
Recipes offers recipes that show, you don't have to lose flavor to gain heart
health and "keep the beat". Enjoy "Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken," "Red
Hot Fusilli," "Crunchy Pumpkin Pie," and "Summer Breezes
Smoothie." The booklet contains more than 100 pages of tempting heart
healthy, taste-tested recipes sure to please you and your family. NIH Publication
No. 03-2921. 145 pages. Heart-Healthy Home Cooking African American Style Recipe
booklet offers you ways to prepare your favorite African American dishes in
ways that protect you and your family from heart disease and stroke. These
20 tested recipes will show you how to cut back on saturated fat, cholesterol,
salt, and sodium and still have great-tasting food. Delicious foods from spicy
southern barbecued chicken to sweet potato pie are included. NIH Publication
No. 97-3792. 28 pages. Use the recipe booklet ¡Platillos Litinos!Sabrosos
y Saludables! to learn to cook some of your favorite, traditional Latino dishes
in a heart-healthy way. This bilingual cookbook contains 23 tested recipes
that cut down on fat, cholesterol, and sodium but not on taste. These delicious
recipes are destined to become family favorites.. NIH Publication Number: 96-4049.
56 pages. Recipe booklets can be downloaded or ordered through their online
catalog at:
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AoA works with a nationwide network of organizations
and service providers to make support services and resources available
to older persons and their caregivers. For more information about
AoA, please contact us by mail at U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Administration on Aging, Washington, DC 20201; by phone
at (202) 619-0724; by e-mail at aoainfo@aoa.gov;
or visit us on the Web at www.aoa.gov.
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Dept. of Health & Human Services
