The Importance of Living Well and Aging Well

The Importance of Living Well and Aging Well September 21, 2010 Pickle Center Austin, Texas

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) oversees the provision of long-term services for: • Adults and children with medical or physical disabilities, • Older adults (60+) and caregivers, and • Adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. DADS also: • Regulates nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, and • Provides other services and opportunities for community involvement.

DADS Mission To provide a comprehensive array of aging and disability services, supports, and opportunities that are easily accessed in local communities.

The Changing Face of Texas From 2011 to 2040, the population age 65 and over is projected to increase from 2. 6 to 7. 5 million.

The Changing Face of Texas Baby Boomers: • Currently between the ages of 46 -64 • Represent 26% of the US population, and 20. 2% of the Texas population • Every 8 seconds one of 78 million boomers turns 60

The Challenges of Aging • Growth of older population and associated needs • Escalating health care costs/needs • Individual and community engagement • Awareness of issues and resources

What is Wellness?

• The quality or state of being in good health; The process of learning about and engaging in behaviors that are likely to result in optimal health • An “active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a more successful existence. ” • Integrated and dynamic level of functioning orientated toward maximizing potential, dependent on self-responsibility.

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Aging Texas Well Ensuring Texans prepare individually for aging in all aspects of life and that state and local infrastructure— laws, policies, and services — support aging well throughout the lifespan. Texas has more than 2. 7 million residents over the age of 60, representing 13 percent of the population, growing to 22 percent by 2030. Are we prepared individually and as a state for aging? Aging Texas Well educates and encourages; – Individuals to prepare for their future, and – Communities to create the supports necessary for the aging population.

Caregiving Legal Mental Health Social Health Physical Health Volunteerism

Caregiving Support for family members and other people providing voluntary care and assistance • 44. 4 million caregivers in the U. S. today. • Nearly six in ten (59%) caregivers are currently employed. • Value of unpaid caregivers 257 billion dollars annually. • Due to juggling caregiving and work, some individuals need to turn down job opportunities, quit their jobs, or take early retirement, leaving employers with the burden of replacing valued employees. National Family Caregiver Support Program AAAs 2 -1 -1 Texas

Legal Planning and managing personal and family life through advance preparation for major life decisions • 2001 -2003 Texas records suggests that up to one-third of people 60 and older may not have a will or other legal documents that indicate how their estates are to be handled. • Despite the existence of laws protecting older adults wishes, some do not engage in legal planning activities or seek protection of their legal rights. Benefits Counselors Texas Legal Services Center Texas Legal Hotline

Mental Health Achieving and maintaining the best possible mental health Older adults should have opportunities to achieve the "best possible mental health which science can make available without regard to economic status, and have immediate benefit from proven research knowledge which can sustain and improve health and happiness. " - Older American Act 1965 • People over 65 have higher suicide rates than any other age group and suicide has been linked to depression in 50 percent of cases. DSHS AAAs

Social Health Meeting the need for interaction between individuals, family and community • Engagement in productive roles of work and volunteering is beneficial to older adults mental and physical health; and their perception of life-satisfaction. • Social and productive activity has been associated with reduced mortality risk and a reduced risk of cognitive decline and dementia. AAAs Silver Lining

Physical Health Achieving and maintaining the best possible physical health • More than 1 in 4 adult Texans are obese (27%) • More than 1. 3 million Texan’s have a diagnosis of diabetes (2 nd highest in the country). • 2006 : 10. 1 million (62 percent) Overweight or Obese Health care cost ~ $10. 5 billion • 2040: 20 million (75 percent) Overweight or Obese Health care cost ~ $39 billion Texercise Walk Across Texas Governors Advisory Council on Physical Fitness

Physical Health Preventable illness makes up approximately 80% of the burden of illness and 90% of all healthcare costs. People who participate in physical activity on a regular basis lower their risk of developing a chronic disease by 30 -50%.

Volunteerism Meaningful unpaid service within a wide range of civic and educational settings • Older adults who consider themselves “retired” provide, perhaps, the most reliable service given their experience and maturity. • 45 million Americans participate in volunteer activities and 15 million about one third - of those are older persons. Silver Lining RSVP

Volunteerism Social and emotional support is associated with reduced risk of mental illness, physical illness, and mortality for older adults. As the number of Texans over age 60 increases dramatically and medical advances enable more people to live with a variety of disabilities and medical conditions, the needs easily outpace the availability of resources to respond to this growing population. • Volunteers provide social and emotional support in long-term care facilities and expand community outreach efforts. • Community support creates new resources, services and opportunities for Texans.

So What?

Age Well - Live Well By 2030, the U. S. population 65 and older will double to about 71 million older adults, or one in every five Americans. The Age Well - Live Well initiative promotes and enhances: • Health and wellness • Volunteerism • Resource and information sharing Local and state public/private partners provide valuable information and opportunities for older Texans and people with disabilities.

Age Well - Live Well focuses on • Creating awareness of aging issues and resources offered through Age Well - Live Well partners and the aging and disability network • Improving the physical health of older adults, people with disabilities, their families and all segments of the community • Providing opportunities for Texans to volunteer with older adults and people with disabilities • Engaging the community in collaborative partnerships that benefit everyone

Texercise A statewide health promotions program of DADS, educates and involves individuals and communities in physical activities and good nutrition.

• Nutrition Facts and Recommendations • Proper Warm-up and Cooldown • Four Types of Exercise • Fitness Logs

Texercise Resources Texercise provides a wide array of resources that support local and statewide activities, create awareness and promote physical and nutritional health options. • • • Texercise Handbook Pledge Certificates Presentations Posters T-News • Texercise 12 -Week Fitness Program • Team Planning Guide and Media Packet • Motivational Incentives • Texercise DVD • Website

A Texercise Program for Everyone Texercise provides tools and resources to assist individuals and communities in making healthy lifestyle changes.

Individuals Texercise provides motivation and resources for individuals to help them adopt healthy lifestyle choices consisting of regular fitness activities and proper nutrition. Individual resources include: • Texercise Handbook • Motivational Incentives • Certificates • Texercise Website

Communities Texercise assists communities (community programs, teams, and worksites) in offering healthy lifestyle choices that brings people together and provide shared support.

Community Resources Texercise provides Community Programs with an array of resources to help them create awareness of their programs, encourage partnerships and motivate individuals to participate in Texercise Community Programs resources include: • • • Texercise DVD Posters Presentations 12 -Week and Team Planning Guides Media Kits T-News Website Texercise Certificates Fact sheets, Incentives and Support

Silver Lining is a volunteer outreach program that assists in creating volunteer visits with people living in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and state supported living centers statewide.

Silver Lining Approximately 77 million babies were born in the United States during the boom years of 1946 to 1964. In 2011, the oldest will turn 65, and, on average, can expect to live to 83. Many will continue well into their 90 s. Silver Lining supports the need for care and connection in a growing aging population by: • Promoting volunteerism that will affect quality of life and quality of care. • Increasing wellness by improving social connections and mental health. • Building awareness and involvement in programs and services that support DADS vision for wellness, dignity and choice for all Texans.

Silver Lining brings volunteer visitors and a bright perspective to people in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and people living in state schools/centers. • Silver Lining Partners include: Kiwanis Agri. LIFE Aetna Texas Retired Teachers Association • Girl Scouts of Texas • • Impacting the quality of life for people in longterm care facilities by creating new friendships and realizing positive changes

Volunteer & Partner Recognition • Motivational incentives • Customizable Certificates • Online web stories • Eligible for state level recognition

Program Resources • Posters, postcards, presentations • Recognition tools and flyers • Volunteer start-up kit (electronic) • Quarterly E-newsletter • Online Activity Calendar • Online Activity Planning Guides

Take the Challenge!

• Make the pledge to engage in Age Well ~Live Well activities for you and your family. – Implement Texercise and improve your physical health and that of your family. – Volunteer with Silver Lining and enhance the lives of others. • Develop wellness polices and programs in your workplace that support Age Well ~Live Well. – Implement 12 -week Texercise program for your colleagues. – Hold events in your worksite that educates and motivates colleagues to prepare for their futures and engage in Age Well ~ Live Well programs. • Create awareness of Age Well ~Live Well programs. Involve others to increase awareness and expand resources. – Access Age Well ~ Live Well program resources to provide regularly scheduled communications. – Partner with Age Well ~ Live Well programs to expand resources and choices for others. – Share stories from your worksites to influence others to act!

Contact Us (800) 889 -8595 Ken Bomar Marketing Director 214. 641. 2016 Aging Texas Well website: Holly Riley Program Specialist 512. 438. 4293 www. texercise. com www. agingtexaswell. com Texercise website: Silver Lining website: www. dads. state. tx. us/silverlining/